Mawlai took a big step by reaching their first ever Meghalaya State League final by beating Ladthadlaboh 1-0 in the first semifinal at the SSA Stadium at First Ground, Polo, here this evening.
Damanbhalang Chyne scored the only goal of the game in the 29th minute and Ladthadlaboh had no way back despite the fine effort of their players.
Mawlai, who were knocked out in 2023’s semis, will meet the winners of tomorrow’s second semifinal, which will be between Rymbai Shkenshynriah and Shillong Lajong at the Wahiajer Multipurpose Sports Complex. Kick-off will be at 1:30pm.
Today’s match was played under floodlights and there were plenty of fans from both sides, with many travelling from West Jaintia Hills to support Ladthadlaboh, who were making their first appearance in an MSL semifinal.
It was their player Buromlangki Salahe who had the first shot on target but it was blocked with a punch by Mawlai goalkeeper Lambhamiki Lamare.
Mawlai constantly looked to get the ball forward to striker Donlad Diengdoh and the goal came about after a long ball saw Donlad beat the defensive line. Ladthadlaboh custodian Ialamlang Biam came out to get to the ball but his touch was heavy and that allowed Donlad to nip in and pinch it. However, he, in turn, had the ball pinched by a defender and this is when a costly mistake was made. The defender left the ball for Ialamlang to clear but, unbeknownst to him, the keeper was racing back to the goalmouth and that opened the way for Damanbhalang to run in and score with one touch.
Ladthadlaboh tried to get back into the contest but could not find a way to break the defence, while Mawlai had several good opportunities to extend their lead but failed to convert. A heavy downpour added to the atmosphere with fans remaining on tenterhooks until the final whistle.
Ialamlang, the captain of his side, was in tears at the end, perhaps blaming himself, but he really did have a good day between the sticks, with his save to deny Donlad a goal in the second half deserving special mention.
Attention will now shift to Wahiajer for the second semifinal. The MSL, organised by the Meghalaya Football Association and supported by the Government of Meghalaya, has always thrown up surprises in the knockout rounds and R Shkenshynriah will be looking to deliver another when they meet 2019 champions Lajong tomorrow.
