Shillong, Dec 25: Meghalaya booked their place in the final round of the Santosh Trophy 2025–26 after edging past Arunachal Pradesh 2–1 in a tense final Group E encounter at the SSA Stadium, Shillong, on Monday evening.
Needing nothing less than a win by at least two goals, Meghalaya delivered under pressure, though not without anxious moments in front of a packed home crowd. Second-half strikes from Shano Tariang (67’) and Apborlang Kurbah (74’) proved decisive, while Midul Doley’s late header in the 83rd minute gave the visitors a brief lifeline.
The result left Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim locked on three points each with an identical goal difference of zero. Meghalaya, however, topped the group on the basis of goals scored (3), edging out Arunachal and Sikkim, who finished with two apiece.
The hosts had endured a difficult start to the campaign after losing 2–1 to Sikkim in their opening match, but a narrow 1–0 win by Arunachal over Sikkim on Sunday reopened the door. Head coach Khlain Pyrkhat Syiemlieh was clear about the task at hand — victory with goals — and his side responded in the decisive fixture.
Arunachal created the better chances in the first half. Tagru James found the net with a header only to be flagged offside, while Midul Doley came close with an audacious lob that rattled the crossbar as Meghalaya goalkeeper Nister Roy Suting scrambled back.
With the match goalless at halftime, Arunachal appeared content to defend deep, knowing a draw would be enough to secure qualification. Meghalaya, however, dominated possession and territory after the break, forcing repeated set-pieces and winning more than a dozen corners as pressure mounted.
The breakthrough came after a triple substitution reshaped the contest. Shano Tariang and Dawanchwa Challam, introduced in the 63rd minute, combined effectively with Fairming Suting, who had come on at halftime. From a crowded corner situation, Apborlang Kurbah nodded the ball back into the danger area, allowing Shano to head home just minutes after entering the fray.
Seven minutes later, Apbor turned scorer, capitalising on defensive confusion inside the box to fire in Meghalaya’s second goal and send the stadium into celebration.
Although Midul Doley’s late header reduced the deficit and ensured a nervy finish, Meghalaya held firm in the closing minutes to secure a crucial victory and confirm progression to the final round.
Meghalaya will now turn their attention to the final phase of the Santosh Trophy, scheduled to be held in Assam next month, where significantly tougher opposition awaits in the hunt for national honours.
