Lawmali upset defending Champion Smit in a penalty shootout to meet Assam Rifles in the Final

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaMarch 14, 2019

SHILLONG: Lawmali upset defending champions Smit in the semifinals of the 4th Assam Rifles Invitational Football Tournament by coming through 4-1 on penalties at the Assam Rifles football ground in Laitkor today.

This is the first time in the history of the competition that Smit have not reached the final. They were the 2016 and 2018 winners and were runners-up in 2017.

In Saturday’s final Lawmali will meet the team that beat Smit in the 2017 title match – Assam Rifles.

The jawans came through as 8-1 victors in the second semifinal over Mawpat.

The first of the last-four fixtures started with Will Marbaniang taking the lead for Lawmali in the 9th minute and in the 76th min Smit were able to equalize through Banshan Nongdhar.

Penalties were required to separate the two teams and Lawmali coming through as 4-1 winners to book their place in the final.

The second semifinal, by contrast, was a bit of a goal fest. However, there was deadlock for more than half an hour as Mawpat held off their stronger opponents. But Mawpat might have been a little tired after having played their quarterfinal fixture only yesterday and in the 37th minute T Nang Kuki bagged the first goal for Assam Rifles.

H Haokip then doubled the lead in first half stoppage time when a left-footer that beat the goalkeeper.

The goals came thick and fast in the second half, with Lalboi Kipjen opening things up with a penalty in the 50th minute and then scoring again on the hour. Haokip record his brace 10 minutes later while M Chetry picked up a couple of goals in the 80th & 84th min.

At the other end Mawpat refused to let the score dampen their spirits and they were rewarded in the 89th minute with a goal, which saw Pynkhlainbok Wahlang feed a through ball to Batiplang Bamon, who beat his marker and fired the ball into the net.

The final between Lawmali and Assam Rifles will be held at the JN Stadium in Polo Ground on Saturday.