Shillong, Oct 9: Meghalaya Police secured their place in the upcoming SSA Super Cup after defeating Laitkor 2-1 in the Shillong Premier League (SPL) 2026 at the SSA Stadium here on Friday.
Everestarly Rynjah scored both goals for Meghalaya Police in the 41st and 69th minutes, while Shelbilkstar Kharshilot pulled one back for Laitkor in stoppage time.
The victory took Meghalaya Police to 14 points, allowing them to reclaim fifth place from Sawmer, who have 12 points. It was a positive return to the SPL for the police side, who are competing in the league for the first time since 2018.
Laitkor, meanwhile, finished their campaign in ninth place with six points and will be relegated to the First Division next season, along with bottom-placed Mylliem.
Despite having no chance of escaping relegation before kick-off, Laitkor produced an attacking performance and created several opportunities. However, their inability to convert chances proved costly.
Laitkor came close to opening the scoring in the 34th minute when Kitdor Kharphuli played a through ball towards Samborwell Mynsong. The forward attempted to flick it goalwards, but the ball struck the post, although it was unclear whether he had made contact.
Meghalaya Police broke the deadlock six minutes later. Rapborlang Marwein delivered a cross into the box, and Everest volleyed the ball home while running to give his side a 1-0 lead.
Heavy rain throughout the match did little to diminish the contest’s intensity. Ten minutes into the second half, Bisharlang Kharumnuid struck the woodwork with a free-kick, while Marbiangki Suchiang failed to convert the rebound.
Meghalaya Police doubled their advantage in the 69th minute when Everest rose to head home another cross, this time from the left flank, completing his brace.
Laitkor continued to push forward in search of a response. Gerald Kharbyngar and Samuel Suting both attempted shots but failed to find the target before Shelbilkstar finally reduced the deficit in the second minute of stoppage time. His effort struck the post before going in, making it 2-1 and setting up a tense finish.
Laitkor nearly found a second equaliser when Eddiesius Kharkongor unleashed a powerful shot across the rain-soaked surface. However, Meghalaya Police goalkeeper Eveningstar Bareh produced an excellent low save to his right to preserve his team’s lead.
The SPL 2026 concludes on Saturday, with the final two fixtures set to determine the finishing positions among the leading teams. The standings will influence qualification for both the upcoming SSA Super Cup, which features the top six SPL sides, and the SSA Champions Cup, which brings together the top two teams from each division in the SSA football pyramid.
Second-placed Shillong Lajong will take on seventh-placed Rangdajied United at 1pm. A victory would guarantee Lajong the runners-up position, regardless of the result in the later fixture.
The final match of the season, scheduled for 4:30pm, will see Nongkseh face Langsning in a highly anticipated encounter. The meeting will revive memories of the 5th Meghalaya State League final in June, although the two sides currently occupy third and fourth place respectively in the SPL standings.
