IMPHAL, September 18: Defending champion NISA suffered another blow to their MSL title defence today after facing their second defeats in just three matches at the Khuman Lampak Main Stadium.
SSU defeated the defending champion by 3-2 today to earn its third successive wins after suffering a defeat in their first game of the league.
SSU with nine points after today’s win is at the third spot of the points table.
A dejected NISA coach Kh Ratan Singh said after the two match successive defeats, the team cannot aim for the trophy at the moment, however it can aim not to face defeats and not to be relegated.
He told media persons in his post-match briefing that he cannot do anything if the players are unable to play to their full potential.
Meanwhile, SSU controlled the 17th match of the MSL from the word go.
Md Sahiddur Rahman scored the first goal of the match in the 11th minute which was equalized in the 25th minute by NISA through a spot kick taken by Th Borish Singh.
The penalty was awarded after SSU defender L Dewan handed a ball inside his penalty box.
The first half ended in the 1-1 draw.
Th Borish added his second goal of the match in the 63rd minute in a counter attack.
NISA led 2-1 till Imran Khan scored the equaliser for SSU through a free kick in the 70th minute.
Meanwhile, the match was disturbed for a few minutes after the SSU players demanded that it should have been a penalty kick and not a free kick.
In the 88th minute, Md Sahiddur Rahman scored his second and the winner for SSU.
Md Sahiddur Rahman will however have to miss out on the next match for SSU as he was awarded the yellow for a consecutive second time today.
SSU coach, L Dhonen Singh said tension brewed up during the match due to the mistakes of the referee and as such both sides cannot have fair play.
He further appealed to all not to repeat such referring mistakes in the future.
Coming back to his team’s performance in today’s match, his strikers played well however due to the failure of the half line to provide support to the strikers, they were unable to convert as much as they were suppose to.
Meanwhile, NISA coach, Kh Ratan was also unhappy with today’s refereeing.
