Shillong (Meghalaya), Apr 15: The 5th Meghalaya State League opened with a crack of thunder at SSA Stadium as Nongkseh SSCC snatched a 2-1 victory from Khimusniang SC, the decider arriving in the second minute of stoppage time to crown a breathless Group A duel.
Khimusniang sprinted from the blocks, Dawanbiangmi Passah a blur of menace down the left while Nongkseh’s defence held its nerve. The script flipped in the 19th minute when Sheen Sohktung shaped a sumptuous strike from the edge of the area, the ball bending past despair into the net. Parity returned in the 51st minute after a defensive lapse let Dawanbiangmi meet a diagonal delivery and steer it home with clinical calm.
Nongkseh answered with sustained theatre. Shano Tariang brushed the bar, Chesterpaul Lyngdoh dragged inches wide, and Daemitre Dan soared to deny Shano with a save worthy of bronze. A free kick later detonated against the upright, the echo lingering as pressure mounted. Inevitability arrived in the 92nd minute when captain Hardy Cliff Nongbri lashed the winner through a thicket of bodies, closing a contest that had refused to bow.
Both clubs carried weight into their MSL debuts. Nongkseh brought a 2025 trophy cabinet of Shillong’s First Division, the Champions Cup, and January’s Sikkim Gold Cup. Khimusniang wore West Jaintia’s U Kiang Nangbah Memorial crown. Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Wailadmiki Shylla launched MSL 5 before kick-off, casting the league as Meghalaya’s runway to I-League 3 and beyond.
Seven fixtures roll out across the state tomorrow, but the bar now glows white-hot. Khimusniang depart with honour intact. Nongkseh leave with three points, a statement, and a stoppage-time story that will travel.
