Staff Reporter
DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 16
That is exactly the thing about Sangpang FC. To watch them play is to undergo an experience that oscillates the nerves from one extreme to another. One moment it is Dr Jekyll, conjuring a delightful string of touches on the pitch, and then in the blink of an eye, it turns into the horrible alter-ego, Mr Hyde.No other team in the NPL awakens the purist and the aesthetic in us, like Sangpang FC. But so also is the fact that no team exasperates like Sangpang FC. If indeed there is an untrodden middle path, a balancing act between the two extremes, Sangpang is yet to discover it.
On Wednesday at the DDSC stadium, both the extremes, the delights and the exasperations, were on full display as Sangpang FC bagged their second away win of the campaign, beating host Dynamic FC 3-2. The win also catapulted them into the top 5 in the points table, with one game in hand.
It was Dynamic FC who drew first blood in twelve minutes through the industrious Shankar. Still without a win, Dynamic would have fancied their chance for win on Wednesday given their opposition’s tendency to flirt with unpredictability despite the fact that Sangpang had beaten the high flying Naga Tornadoes in their previous game.
A lovely though ball from Chuba, after cutting in from the left, however unlocked the Dynamic barricade in thirty-two minutes. The pass set Temjenmeren free, who then promptly dispatched the ball into the back of the net. At halftime, the scores were level.
The second half of the game was dotted with some dreadful Sangpang passes and equally delightful moments of exquisite touches. Dynamic, however industrious and courageous, failed punish the misplaced passes by Sangpang players.
And for ten crucial minutes in the second half, Sangpang got their acts right and orchestrated two beautifully crafted goals to rest easy. Both the goals came from striker Chuba, who also had assisted his team’s equalizer.
Only six minutes into the second half, the Dynamic defense failed to clear a corner and the ball, inevitably, fell to the Sangpang midfield metronome, Tongpangkokba. He took one touch and lobbed the ball to Temjenmeren, who drew the Dynamic defense including the keeper to him, inside the box.
Unselfishly, the scorer of Sangpang’s first goal laid the ball across the goal for teammate Chuba to hit the ball into an empty net. The exchange of passes¬–swift, short and crisp– had the handful of spectators on their feet.
Ten minutes later, Chuba had his second of the game after a delightful chip over the Dynamic keeper, virtually sealing the game for Sangpang. The goal, once again, came off a mistake in the Dynamic defense. A missed header to a Sangpang free-kick from the middle of the pitch allowed Chuba to run inside the box and lobbed the ball.
Deep into regulation time, in the 89th minute, Dynamic pulled one back through the boots of Moatemsu, but it was only of academic interest. Once again, the day belonged to the soft-shoed Sangpang players who once again took the role and the art of a trapeze artist to perfection. Well, almost.
In the second match of the day at the DDSC, a rampant Dimapur United swatted aside Naga Tornadoes with thumping a 3-1 win. The result had placed United only two points behind leaders Veda FC, who could only manage a goalless draw against Zonipang FC in Mokokochung.
Dimapur United were up as early as in the 13th minute when the prolific Amir blasted home from outside the box. Midfield engine, Ranadip doubled the lead in the 18th minute.
For Tornadoes, it was a hard day’s work against, perhaps, the most muscular and equally speedy players in the league. Seasoned marksman, Abel pulled one back for the Tornadoes in the 41st minute with an emphatic finish.
Numerous chances went begging, on both ends, before United winger Moi sealed the game fro his side in the 50th minute.
The defending champions’ Barak Football Club finally managed to return to the NPL as they earned first full points defeating underperformers Doyang Football Club at IG Stadium, Kohima.
Having lost two consecutive matches and drawn one in their previous matches, Barak FC Wednesday didn’t have problem to beat Doyang FC by a margin of 4 goals, who are now placed in the bottom of the league.
Sonapao of Barak FC gave the defending champs the lead through a 15 yard strike in the 32nd minute. They got the second lead through Asian as Doyang custodian failed to collect the ball on the edge of the D-box in the 61st minute.
A brilliant solo effort by Nzhaut from the centre gave Barak their third goal of the match, while Asian netted his second of the match to give Barak a comfortable 4-0 win.
