Shillong, Jul 20: Wahingdoh and Smit played out a 0-0 draw in their First Division first round fixture here today.
The draw means that Wahingdoh have, in their very first match, already overcome their tally of points from last year’s Shillong Premier League (SPL); if you remember, the club lost all 14 games last season and were thus relegated to the First Division.
Today’s game was pretty even throughout, although direct entrants Smit, who had plenty of fan support, were slightly in the ascendant in the last 10 minutes or so.
Both goalkeepers had good games, with Wahingdoh unable to find a way past Smit’s tall custodian Mikha Sungoh, while Maverick Nongkhlaw pulled off a couple of good saves for Wahingdoh.
Nongkhlaw’s 80th minute effort to parry a shot on goal was a highlight of the match, though the ball did then fall to another Smit player who inexplicably missed the target from point-blank range.
Around 10 minutes before, a Wahingdoh player struck the crossbar at the opposite end of the pitch, though it looked like a cross gone wrong rather than a genuine attempt on goal.
Both sides appeared tentative and a little unsure when in goal-scoring positions, but Smit did look more likely to score late in the game, though they were ultimately held off by Wahingdoh, who boast of largely the same faces that crashed out of the SPL last year.
There will be no First Division match tomorrow as the U-18 SPL final will instead be held, between Langsning and Sawmer at 3:45PM at the JN Stadium.
(TSR photo. Wahingdoh are in maroon, Smit in black)
