The Shillong Lajong FC team after the prize distribution ceremony of the Shillong Premier League in Shillong on Saturday. Telegraph picture

Guwahati, Dec. 1: The youngsters in the Shillong Lajong FC Academy proved Scottish football legend and BBC commentator Alan Hansen, who had said, “You can’t win anything with kids” about Manchester United in 1995, wrong once again.

The under-19 boys upstaged strong opponents like Langsning FC, Rangdajied United FC and Royal Wahingdoh FC to lift the title of the competitive Shillong Premier League over the weekend to establish that they are a force to reckon with. They beat Langsning FC 3-0 in the Shillong Premier League final.

Saturday was the final test for the Lajong colts in this season, where they have been dominant despite suffering an occasional blip in form at times. The youngsters went into the match determined and seized the game against Langsning FC right from the word go.

Their teamwork yielded results from the 16th minute when midfielder Rupert Nongrum found the net to hand Lajong the lead. Three minutes later, Rupert doubled the lead from a penalty.

Lajong Juniors’ coach Alison Kharsyntiew’s man management has been excellent this season and his tactics continued to be excellent in this match as well.

The juniors started the second half as they did the first. Like in the first half, Langsning created few chances but were not successful in scoring.

Despite a two-goal cushion, they continued to dominate the game looking for a third goal, which eventually came in the 67th minute through Jacob, who scored a blinder from 30 yards.

The season has been a testament to the solid groundwork that has been laid and the strength of the academy that Shillong Lajong has.

The academy was set up in 2007 with the sole aim to develop the game at the grassroots level keeping in mind the abundant football talent in the Northeast.

The club then started the Goal 14 project in 2009 with the objective to develop local players from the Northeast who would become a new generation of Lajong products for the I-league.

The project has nurtured many football prodigies from the eight states of the region as the academy today boasts of 10 players of the under-19 Indian national team.

With a line of academy products actively contributing to the competitive teams of Shillong Lajong FC, including the senior I-League outfit, the success of the initiative that started five years ago has begun bearing fruit in terms of the future line of players.

One of the most promising players that SLFC has is the football sensation from Mizoram, Zodingliana.

He was also part of the India under-14, 16 and 19 team camps and is now a regular for NorthEast United FC in the Hero Indian Super League.

Along with Zodingliana, other junior players from the Lajong ranks like Redeem Tlang, Alen Deory and Pritam Kumar are a part of the squad in North East United FC.

Midfielders Rupert Nongrum and Lalrammuana have been a revelation as they scored a combined total of 14 goals.