Shillong: In a thrilling encounter at the Deccan Arena in Hyderabad, Meghalaya staged a remarkable comeback to earn a 2-2 draw against Tamil Nadu in their opening Group B match of the Senior Men’s National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy 2024-25 final round.
Tamil Nadu dominated the first half, taking a commanding two-goal lead thanks to goals from Pandiyan Sinivasan (28th minute) and Alexander Romario Jesuraj (45’+2). However, Meghalaya showed incredible resilience in the second half. Coach Hering Shangpliang made tactical adjustments, introducing fresh legs into the attack. This proved to be the turning point as Damanbhalang Chyne emerged as the hero, scoring two stunning goals in the 50th and 69th minutes to level the score.
Despite pressing for a winner, Meghalaya had to settle for a point. Earlier in the day, Kerala secured a thrilling 4-3 victory over Goa in another Group B clash. With the top four teams from each group advancing to the quarterfinals, Meghalaya will look to build on this impressive comeback performance when they face Kerala in their next match on Tuesday.