IMPHAL, September 7: SSU registered its second consecutive win today from three matches in the Manipur State League playoffs at the Imphal Mapal Kangjeibung.
SSU, Singjamei defeated KSC, Lambulane by 4-0.
KSC was coming after a big win against TRAU in their second match of the league, however today’s match had none of the player collaboration or performance seen in their second match.
SSU controlled all aspects of the game throughout the 90 minutes.
Keithellakpam Kiran headed the first goal of the match in the 30th minute off a long pass from Suresh Rai.
The first half ended with the 1-0 scoreline.
Kiran scored his second of the match in the 53rd minute extending the SSU lead to two goals.
Just three minutes after Kiran’s second goal, Lamabam Gogocha scored the third for SSU through a pass from Kiran.
The last goal of the match was also scored with Kiran help. Loitongbam Somen scored the fourth in the 63rd minute. KSC goalie Hmangte Damkhupreng had cleared Kiran’s corner kick, however, the ball fell near Somen who chipped in the fourth.
Kiran and Raju of SSU and Lamkholen Kipgen of KSC were cautioned during the match.
SSU coach L Dhonen Singh said there is a lot of visible development in his team since their first match loss.
In order to counter KSC’s short passes, he told his players to play in long passes, he said.
The seemingly happy coach said he had also found the same response from the club’s fan who had also expressed the need to counter KSC’s short passes with long passes.
He said the scoreline could have been more pleasing than the 4-0 if his right half Prasanta had played the match. Prasanta is out in the bench with a knee injury.
KSC, coach Tongminthang Haokip in his post-match briefing said his team could not play their natural game of short passes today. More than half of their previous winning line up were absent from today’s match due to injury. The absence of the six players affected the outcome of the match a lot, he said.
He lamented that the referee had denied the team a change to equalise when the scoreline was on 0-1 in the 40th minute of the first half.
He said Lamkholen Kipgen’s attempt at the goalmouth had hit SSU’s defender Asem Arun. It seems that both the referee and the assist referee failed to see it.
