Shillong: Shillong Lajong FC delivered a commanding performance against Nangkiew Irat, securing a 4-0 victory at SSA Stadium, Polo, on February 24 to keep their OC Blue Shillong Premier League 2024 title hopes alive.
The match, which remained goalless for the first hour, saw an explosive burst of goals in the second half, with all four strikes coming within a 15-minute span.
Deibormame Tongper opened the floodgates in the 60th minute and added another eight minutes later, bringing his season tally to 19 goals. Yohaan Benjamin followed up with Lajong’s 50th goal of the campaign in the 69th minute, before Riborlang L Lyngkhoi capitalized on a defensive lapse to seal the emphatic win in the 75th minute.
With this victory, Lajong have accumulated 36 points, just two behind league leaders Mawlai SC, though the latter hold a game in hand. The defeat left Nangkiew Irat in sixth place, with only a slim one-point advantage over Nongrim Hills SC, who climbed to seventh following a hard-fought 2-1 win against Nongthymmai SC earlier in the day.
In the other fixture, Nongrim Hills took the lead through Nickhil Lyngkhoi in the 37th minute, only for Nongthymmai’s Pynshailang Kharduid to level the score just before halftime in added time. The contest remained evenly poised in the second half until the 88th minute, when Bankitboklang Nongrum latched onto a through ball to score the match-winner, lifting Nongrim Hills above Sawmer SC in the standings. Nongthymmai, meanwhile, remain in the relegation zone, struggling in ninth place.
As the OC Blue SPL 2024 title race intensifies, all eyes now turn to the crucial matches ahead. February 25 will see Langsning FC take on Laitkor SC in a battle between the fourth and fifth-placed teams, followed by a high-stakes clash between Mawlai SC and third-placed Rangdajied United FC. For Rangdajied, anything less than a win will spell the end of their championship ambitions, making it a must-watch encounter in the league’s final stretch.