NorthEast United secured a spot in the final of the Durand Cup 2024 after beating regional rival Shillong Lajong 3-0 in the semifinal tie at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong on Monday.
Two first-half goals and a stoppage-time strike ensured the Highlanders had made it to their first-ever final, after bowing out at the same stage in the previous edition of the competition.
Backed up by the deafening “Lajong Lajong” chants from the crowd, it was Shillong Lajong who turned up the heat in the opening minutes of the tie, keeping the ball in the opponent’s half and winning a couple of early corners.
Soaking in the pressure from the opposition crowd, NEUFC took the lead in the 13th minute after Moroccan Alaaeddine Ajaraie received the ball from a throw-in and played a decisive backheel into the path of Jithin MS down the left flank.
It was a textbook low cross into the six-yard area from Jithin to find Huidrom Thoi Singh, who slid in to put the ball into the back of the net for the lead.
Shillong Lajong’s best chance of the first half came in the 27th minute when 20-year-old Wadajied Kynsai Ryngkhlem’s shot from outside the box deflected off a NEUFC defender and looked like it was creeping into the bottom corner. Goalkeeper Gurmeet made a last-second change in direction to get a hand on the ball and push it away for a corner.
READ MORE | Durand Cup 2024 semifinal Highlights, Shillong Lajong vs NorthEast United
Five minutes later, it was Spaniard Nestor Albiach who found Ajaraie inside the opposition’s box with a sumptuous ball over the top. The Moroccan, who timed his run perfectly, brought the ball down with an exquisite touch and shot it past the keeper, only to see it fall back to him after striking the left post.
He made no mistake this time and slotted the ball into the goal, but his celebrations were cut short by the offside flag raised on the far side.
NEUFC captain Miguel Zabaco Tome rushed to the assistant referee questioning the call and after a few moments of appealing and deliberation, the goal was awarded, much to the dismay of the home crowd.
Ajaraie almost doubled his tally in the second half after his shot from outside the box narrowly whizzed past the right of the goal.
Despite being egged on from the stands, Shillong Lajong failed to recover its spark from the opening 10 minutes of the match and lacked the quality and sharpness in the final third, against a solid NEUFC defence.
Things went from bad to worse for Shillong Lajong after defender Ronney Willson Kharbudon was sent off the field in the 90th minute for dissent against a decision given by the referee.
Capitalising on the one-man advantage, NEUFC added insult to injury four minutes into added time after substitute Parthib Sundar Gogoi took the ball down the left flank and showed composure to slot it past the opposition keeper.
In the final, NEUFC will face the winner of the second semifinal clash between defending champion Mohun Bagan Super Giant and Bengaluru FC being played at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on Tuesday.
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