Protech Guwahati Football Premier League: Assam Police stage comeback win, Sunrise rout SAI

Our Sports Reporter

GUWAHATI: A goal-fest highlighted the 3rd Protech Guwahati Football Premier League on Monday as both league matches at Judges Field produced thrilling football and a total of 15 goals.

In the opening encounter, Assam Police staged a spirited second-half comeback to edge past United Chirang Duar FC 4–3 in a well contested game. United Chirang Duar dominated the first half and raced to a commanding lead through a superb hat-trick by Malsawmzela. He opened the scoring in the 27th minute and added two more goals in quick succession in the 31st and 39th minutes. Assam Police, however, stayed in contention when Pinkul Basumatary pulled one back just before the halftime whistle to make it 3–1.

The complexion of the match changed dramatically after the break as Assam Police took firm control of midfield and applied sustained pressure. Their persistence paid dividends when Utsav Madahi struck in the 52nd minute to reduce the deficit. Madahi then went on to complete a fine hat-trick with goals in the 70th and 81st minutes, sealing a memorable comeback victory for Assam Police. The winning margin could have been wider, but several clear-cut chances were squandered in the latter stages.

With this match, both teams completed their campaign in the competition. Assam Police finished with four points from five outings, while United Chirang Duar FC ended their campaign with seven points from five matches.

The second match of the day, played under floodlights, turned out to be a completely one-sided affair. Sunrise, who had already secured a place in the semifinals, outclassed SAI Guwahati with a resounding 8–0 victory. Sunrise dominated possession from the outset and overwhelmed their opponents with swift, incisive attacking moves. Alfred was in scintillating form as he struck a hat-trick, while Mayukh contributed two goals. Joseph and Sangti added one goal each to complete the rout.

Sunrise wrapped up their league campaign in Cluster A with an impressive 13 points from five matches, while SAI Guwahati failed to open their account in the competition.

The second semifinalist from the group will be decided on Tuesday following the match between OIL FC and ASEBSC. OIL FC need only a draw to book a semifinal berth, while a win for ASEBSC would help DBI progress to the semifinals.

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