Shillong, Sept 10: Rangdajied United finally found their winning touch when it mattered most, overturning a half-time deficit with three second-half goals to beat Laitkor 3-1 and climb out of the Shillong Premier League relegation zone at the SSA Stadium here on Thursday.
Laitkor looked on course for a crucial victory after Hamingbert Nongbet put them ahead in the 32nd minute, but Rangdajied produced a spirited second-half comeback, with Franky Dkhar (54th), Mebannangkiew Thabah (73’) and Pasborlang Khonglikong (88’) finding the net to complete a memorable comeback.
The victory lifted Rangdajied from the relegation zone to seventh place with four points. Nongkseh dropped to eighth, while Laitkor slipped to ninth.
Rangdajied had found the net in each of their previous three matches but had managed just one point from those outings, making Thursday’s result particularly important for the side.
Laitkor looked the more threatening team during the opening half-hour and created several promising opportunities. Samuel Suting and Hamingbert narrowly missed the target in the opening 20 minutes, while Shanborlang Nonglait headed a corner over the bar when he had a good chance to score.
Laitkor eventually broke the deadlock in the 32nd minute. Samborwell Mynsong picked out Hamingbert, who showed composure to work his way into a shooting position before slotting the ball between Rangdajied defender and goalkeeper Meshanbanjop Sumer.
Rangdajied struggled to create clear-cut chances in the first half, with Elnathan D Wahlang shooting wide and Freelyson Tariang being denied by Laitkor goalkeeper Deranius Wahlang.
The momentum shifted after the interval, with Rangdajied pushing forward in search of an equaliser.
Their efforts paid off in the 54th minute after Deranius was penalised for carrying the ball outside the penalty area. Franky Dkhar stepped up for the resulting free-kick and sent a low effort through the defensive wall and into the net, with Deranius unable to react.
Rangdajied continued to press after drawing level and completed the turnaround 20 minutes later.
An attack down the left in the 73rd minute ended with Mebannangkiew Thabah receiving the ball inside the area, and the No. 7 calmly guided his effort beyond Deranius.
Mebannangkiew came close to adding another shortly afterwards when he raced forward from his own half during a counter-attack. However, instead of finding a teammate, he attempted to score from a tight angle and sent the ball wide.
Laitkor continued to search for a way back into the contest, but Rangdajied remained dangerous on the counter.
The third goal arrived in the 88th minute and proved to be the highlight of the evening. Balamlynti Khongjee delivered a cross towards Pasborlang Khonglikong, who went to ground while attempting to meet the ball. From a near-seated position, Pasborlang managed to hook the ball into the net to seal Rangdajied’s first win of the campaign.
Rangdajied goalkeeper Meshanbanjop Sumer also played a crucial role in securing the three points, producing two important saves late in the match. One of them came with his fingertips to keep out an effort from Wadskhem Marbaniang.
The Shillong Premier League continues on Friday, with Nongkseh taking on Meghalaya Police at 3:30pm.
Both sides were promoted to the SPL from the First Division last year. Nongkseh dominated the 2025 First Division campaign but have found life more difficult in the top flight this season and currently trail Meghalaya Police in the standings.
