Shillong, July 29: Shillong Lajong FC survived a spirited second-half fightback from Nangkiew Irat to register a hard-fought 1-0 victory in Match 4 of the Shillong Premier League 2026 at the SSA Stadium on Wednesday.
Deibormame Tongper’s 37th-minute strike proved to be the difference in an entertaining contest that saw Lajong dominate the opening half before being forced onto the back foot after the break.
The result also marked the third 1-0 scoreline in four matches this season, underlining the closely contested nature of the league.
Nangkiew Irat threatened early when former Lajong player Maxderidoff Wahlang headed wide in the third minute, but Lajong gradually took control of proceedings and were rewarded before halftime.
The breakthrough came in the 37th minute after Nangkiew Irat failed to clear a corner. The loose ball fell kindly for Deibormame, who stretched to poke it past goalkeeper Surjay Kumar Pariyar from close range.
The introduction of Wallamsuk Nongkhlaw, Justerwell Tham and new signing Yhoto Lohe transformed Nangkiew Irat after the interval as they mounted relentless pressure in search of an equaliser.
Wallamsuk came close twice within the opening minutes of the second half before heading another opportunity wide in the 56th minute.
Yhoto nearly brought his side level in the 66th minute with a powerful effort that rattled the woodwork and followed it up a minute later with another attempt that narrowly missed the target. Nangkiew Irat struck the frame of the goal again in the 72nd minute when Justerwell unleashed a fierce shot that cannoned off the woodwork.
As the pressure intensified, Lajong’s defence looked increasingly unsettled. Goalkeeper Lakpa Lama endured a nervy outing, nearly gifting Nangkiew Irat a goal after losing possession inside the final 10 minutes. In stoppage time, he failed to deal cleanly with a corner, but the ball ricocheted off Yhoto and drifted wide, allowing Lajong to escape with all three points and a clean sheet.
Round 1 of the SPL 2026 will conclude on Thursday when Mawlai SC take on Laitkor SC at 4pm. Former champions Mawlai will be aiming to begin their campaign strongly after finishing third last season, while Laitkor will look to improve on their seventh-place finish in 2025.
