Mizo down UP in thriller

Four goals were scored in a span of 15 minutes towards the end, after Mizoram took an early lead in the match. Thanshnga 5th and 75th and Ramzisinga 70th struck for the winners while Nitin Bishal scored both the goals for UP, the first one coming off a 71st minute spot kick.

After Thanshnga drove home a half-cleared ball in the fifth minute to gain early lead, the Mizo moves rarely grew into threats.

Still the north-east side made use of freedom in mid-field along the flanks to send their wing backs up to cross the ball into the rival penalty area. UP did little to stop these incursions into theirmid-field spaces.

The goalspree was sparked off by Ramzisingha, who blasted home a Vanlal free kick. UP earned a spotkick in the very next minute, when Nitin Bishal was brought down. Bishal made it 1-2.

Thanshnga struck his second for Mizoram, this time trapping a Zonusiama pass and dribbling past a posse of defenders and the goalkeeper. Bishal reduced the margin with a flighted free kick from 25 yards away, the most spectacular goal of the game.