Shillong, Oct 28: Nongkseh SS&CC suffered a 1-0 defeat to Lakecity FC at the SSA Stadium on Wednesday evening in a fiercely contested I-League 3 Group C encounter, with Abhijit Tawhare scoring the decisive goal in the 58th minute.
The hosts were reduced to 10 men in the 20th minute when Ieitlang Syiemlieh was shown a red card following a clash with Lakecity’s Marvin. Nongkseh were subsequently reduced to nine players in the 76th minute after key defender Banraplang Pyngrope was sent off following a tackle on Arif Shaikh.
Despite playing with a numerical disadvantage for most of the match, Nongkseh continued to create scoring opportunities, but Lakecity goalkeeper Hitendra Singh produced several crucial saves to preserve his team’s lead.
Nongkseh came close to opening the scoring in the 17th minute when Ieitlang Syiemlieh’s powerful effort from the right flank travelled across the face of the Lakecity goal, narrowly missing the target.
Three minutes later, the match took a dramatic turn when Ieitlang was sent off. Marvin was also shown a yellow card in the same minute. Owanijuh Pajuh received a yellow card for Nongkseh in the 26th minute, while Lakecity’s Paolenmoi Chongloi was booked in the 22nd minute.
Nongkseh continued to threaten despite being a player short. In the 44th minute, Hardy Cliff Nongbri provided an excellent assist for Owanijuh inside the Lakecity penalty area, but the latter’s close-range attempt was denied by Hitendra.
Lakecity nearly conceded an own goal in the 51st minute when Hardy’s cross was met by Saurabh Nikam, whose attempted defensive header went towards his own goal. However, Hitendra reacted quickly and got a hand to the ball to prevent it from crossing the line.
Lakecity threatened from a corner in the 54th minute, with several players attempting headers inside the Nongkseh penalty area, but the home defence eventually cleared the danger.
The visitors broke the deadlock five minutes later. Abhijit Tawhare received a pass from Saurabh Nikam in the 58th minute and finished past Nongkseh goalkeeper Wanteilang Malngiang to give Lakecity the lead.
Lakecity received further yellow cards through Atharva Basavraj Charki in the 63rd minute, Akash Rai in the 68th minute and captain Altamash Sayed in the 88th minute.
Nongkseh continued searching for an equaliser, with Hardy coming close in the 70th minute when his attempt from the edge of the penalty area sailed just over the crossbar. Lakecity captain Altamash also threatened at the other end in the 74th minute, but his long-range effort narrowly missed the target.
The contest became even more challenging for Nongkseh when Banraplang was sent off in the 76th minute, leaving the hosts with only nine players for the closing stages.
Despite being reduced to nine men, Nongkseh continued to push forward. Dawanchwa attempted a long-range effort in the 85th minute, sending the ball inches over the crossbar. Owanijuh also tried his luck from outside the penalty area a minute later, but his powerful strike also cleared the crossbar.
Lakecity’s disciplined defensive display and Hitendra’s goalkeeping ensured that the visitors held on to their narrow advantage until the final whistle.
Although the hosts created several opportunities, the two red cards significantly affected their attacking options and made the search for an equaliser increasingly difficult.
The action continues on Friday, when Kuppuraj FC take on Chhaygaon FC at 9 AM, followed by Nongkseh SS&CC’s clash against group table-toppers Godavari FC at 5 PM. Both matches will be played at the SSA Stadium in Shillong.
