Shillong, May 26: Rymbai Shkenshynriah SC joined Langsning FC from Group B in the semifinals of the 5th Meghalaya State League after the conclusion of the last quarterfinal league stage matches at the SSA Stadium here today.
Group A winners Nongkseh SSCC and runners-up Shillong Lajong FC also qualified for the semis, which will be played on 29th and 30th May. The date of the final of the mega league, which is an initiative of the Meghalaya Football Association with the support of the Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs, will be intimated later.
Shkenshynriah just needed a draw to qualify for the last-four and reach their second consecutive MSL semifinal but came through as 5-2 winners over Nangkiew Irat SC. All seven goals were scored in the second half, with Iaishah Bareh (56′), Hesmiki Rymbai (69′, 90’+3), Niponghi Sumer (77′) and Harita Suchen (90’+4) scoring for Shkenshynriah and Brolington Warlarpih (58′) and Justerwell Tham (81′) for Nangkiew.
The team from East Jaintia Hills betrayed a few nerves at the start but also wanted to score early in order to put Nangkiew Irat under pressure.
However, the first half was without a goal from either side but the game came alive in the second 45 minutes with Iaishah dinking the ball past Emerald Dan in the Nangkiew goal before outrunning the goalkeeper and scoring. Nangkiew levelled immediately, however, when a Wallamsuk Nongkhlaw shot took a deflection off team mate Brolington for the equaliser.
Hesmiki restored Shkenshynriah’s lead, slamming the ball into the top part of the net, and Niponghi made it 3-1 with an excellent free-kick from the edge of the box. Justerwell ensured that Nangkiew were still in the game after he reduced the margin with just under 10 minutes of regulation time still to play but his team were vulnerable at the back and Shkenshynriah scored twice in stoppage time to the great delight of their fans. Shkenshynriah thus finished with 12 points and Nangkiew came third with 9.
In the earlier game, Langsning confirmed first place in the group with a 2-0 win against bottom side Maram FC. Donlad Diengdoh (41′) and Nelson Rymbai (48′) secured victory with a goal each on either side of half time.
Langsning moved to the semifinals with five wins and one defeat, which gave them 15 points, the most of any team in either of the two quarterfinal groups. For Maram, this was their sixth loss but competing in this statewide league with the best teams from around Meghalaya should give them plenty of positives as they begin their defence of their Tura Super Division title shortly.
Both semifinals have been scheduled for 6PM on their respective days at the SSA Stadium. In the first, Nongkseh will face Rymbai Shkenshynriah on 29th May followed by Langsning against Lajong the following day.
(Meghalaya Football Association photo. Rymbai Shkenshynriah in white-blue, Nangkiew Irat in red)
