Shillong, May 15: Mawkhar and Nongrim Hills played out an exciting 2-2 draw in their U-18 Shillong Premier League match at Third Ground here today, with both sides holding the lead for a spell.
Adarsh Thapa scored from the edge of the box in the 30th minute to put Nongrim into the lead, lashing the ball into the far corner of the net past the diving Mawkhar goalkeeper Elbert Kurbah.
Soon after the Nongrim goalie Brilliant Thabah lived up to his name by making a great save and just before the first half Kurbah stretched out his boot to deny Nongrim’s Wanbantei Lyngkhoi.
Despite a good showing, Mawkhar went into the break trailing by a goal, but showed good spirit early on in the second half.
In the 51st minute Densil Kongwang made an easy tap-in off a cross from the right to equalise proceedings and in the 55th his team mate Aenam Jyrwa niftily got his way past several defenders to score from a tight angle, with his shot appearing to have taken a deflection off the keeper before going into the net.
Mawkhar had thus gone from trailing to being in the lead in the space of a few minutes, but that lead didn’t last long at all, with Lyngkhoi finally getting on the scoresheet two minutes later.
Nothing came out of the remaining half an hour or so, though Kurbah produced another good save at the near post in the 90th minute to ensure that both Mawkhar and Nongrim shared points in the first draw of the season.
Tomorrow Shillong Lajong will take on Lawsohtun at 3:45PM.
(TSR photo. Mawkhar are in red, Nongrim Hills in grey)
