Shillong, Aug 17: Alaaeddine Ajaraie orchestrated a breathtaking second-half comeback with a hat-trick as NorthEast United FC defeated Shillong Lajong 5-2 in a thrilling match to reach the semifinals of the Durand Cup football tournament the here on Monday.
After trailing 1-2 at the break in torrential rain, the Highlanders turned the match on its head with four second-half goals, booking their semi-final spot for fourth time in a row.
NorthEast United will face Mohun Bagan Super Giant in the second semifinal on Thursday here.
The match began under difficult conditions as heavy rain left the pitch challenging. NorthEast adapted more quickly to the conditions and created the first meaningful chance in the seventh minute when Eneko Satrustegui headed narrowly wide from an Antonio Moyano corner.
The Highlanders made their early dominance count in the 11th minute through a moment of individual brilliance from Ajaraie.
Latching onto a perfectly weighted long ball from Redeem Tlang, the Moroccan forward took the ball past an approaching defender before calmly slotting home to give NorthEast a 1-0 lead and draw level with Rodriguinho in the tournament’s scoring charts.
Shillong Lajong responded positively and, despite NorthEast controlling much of the early proceedings, found an equaliser in the 20th minute.
Figo Syndai exploited space in the final third and finished clinically to bring the hosts level, sparking celebrations among the home supporters at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
The contest quickly developed into an end-to-end affair. NorthEast nearly regained the lead in the 27th minute following a swift counter-attack, but Jithin M.S. fired narrowly wide.
Shillong’s confidence continued to grow despite the worsening weather, and they completed the turnaround in the 34th minute.
Jota led a textbook counter-attack, racing clear of the NorthEast defence before rounding Gurmeet Singh and finishing confidently to put the hosts 2-1 ahead.
The rain eased after the restart, and Shillong introduced Phrangki Buam in place of goalscorer Jota.
However, the second half belonged entirely to the Highlanders.
NorthEast restored parity in the 55th minute when Etyan Jesus Gonzalez Morales found the back of the net to make it 2-2.
Just three minutes later, Ajaraie completed another clinical move to turn the game around and give NorthEast a 3-2 lead.
Shillong responded by increasing the pressure after the hour mark, earning successive corners and creating opportunities from close range.
The intensity of the contest also rose, with Macarton Louis Nickson and Asheer Akhtar both entering the referee’s notebook.
NorthEast United head coach Juan Pedro Benali refreshed his side by introducing Parthib Sundar Gogoi and Nikola Ninkovic, and the changes helped NorthEast maintain their attacking momentum.
Ajaraie completed the hat-trick in the 69th minute after being released by Jithin.
The Moroccan finished confidently to extend the Highlanders’ lead to 4-2.
Shillong continued to push forward in search of a route back into the contest, but NorthEast defended resolutely. Benali also handed a debut to Pramveer, who replaced Asheer Akhtar.
The Highlanders added the finishing touch in the 79th minute when Jithin capped an outstanding performance by getting on the scoresheet himself, finishing off another flowing move to make it 5-2. (PTI)
