Shillong, Aug 11: Nongkseh SS&CC concluded their 135th Indian Oil Durand Cup campaign with a commanding display, thrashing Mumbay FC 7-0 in their final Group E fixture at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Tuesday.
From the first whistle the hosts played with intent and purpose, and the breakthrough came in the 13th minute when Hardy Cliff Nongbri calmly converted from the penalty spot after Chesterpoul Lyngdoh was brought down in the box. The goal settled Nongkseh and forced Mumbay into a deeper defensive shape.
The second arrived four minutes before the interval and owed much to persistence. A delivery from the right was only partially cleared and fell to Dawancha Carlos Challam on the edge of the area. His shot took a decisive deflection off Kitboklang Pale and looped past goalkeeper Pratik Jadhav.
Nongkseh resumed after the break with the same authority. Lyngdoh made it 3-0 in the 56th minute, reacting quickest to turn in the rebound after sustained pressure. Jadhav’s evening ended soon after as he was stretchered off with an injury, and his replacement was immediately put to work.
The final quarter saw Nongkseh cut loose. Challam produced the standout moment of the match in the 76th minute, gliding past three defenders down the left before finishing coolly at the near post. Nongbri completed his brace in the 79th with a simple tap-in following good work by Sheen Stevenson. Challam then added his second in the 82nd when a speculative effort slipped beneath the goalkeeper, and Stevenson put the seal on a resounding win in the 89th, capitalising on a defensive error to round off the scoring.
Mumbay did have a rare opening midway through the second half through substitute Shreyas Vatekar, but the chance went begging and Nongkseh goalkeeper Guidle Syiemlieh was otherwise untroubled.
The result lifts Nongkseh to second in Group E with four points from three matches, level on points with Langsning FC but ahead on goal difference. Shillong Lajong FC lead the group with six points from two games, and with both Lajong and Langsning still to play their final group matches, the race for the quarter-final spot remains open. Mumbay FC bow out of the tournament after three defeats, but not without moments of effort along the way.
For Nongkseh, the emphatic finish will provide encouragement despite their campaign ending at the group stage, a performance that showcased the attacking depth and composure the side will hope to carry forward.
