Sabitra Bhandari netted a hat-trick as Nepal Armed Police Force (APF) Club beat Nepal Police Club 3-0 at the ANFA Complex in the National Women’s Football League to go seven points clear at top of league standings on Thursday.

Sabitra put APF ahead capitalising on a mistake from Police defender Ghim Kumari Gurung in the 32nd minute. The captain failed to clear the ball just outside the box which then fell into the path of Sabitra who fired into the net giving goalkeeper Sapana Rai no chance.

The 23-year-old national striker next put on a brilliant show dribbling past three defenders to score her second goal of the game in the 56th minute, and completed her hat-trick six minutes before the time, again, taking advantage of a mistake from a Police defender.

This is Sabitra’s third hat-trick of the league—her first coming in the 6-0 thumping of Chandrapur Municipality on January 21 and then scoring four goals in 7-0 humiliation of Biratnagar Metropolitan City three days later. Sabitra leads the scoring chart with 10 goals out of APF’s 18 this season. APF have not conceded yet.

The win also cemented APF’s place at top with 12 points from four matches. Police remain second with five points.

Despite going seven points clear, APF coach Bhagawoti Thapa ruled out title talks saying, “It’s still far from over”.

“We are in the title race for sure, but there are still a lot of matches to be played and challenges are coming.”

“We have defeated both the departmental sides but they are strong teams. Waling have also improved a lot,” Thapa added.

The women’s league is being played in a double leg format for the first time.

Police coach Sanjeev Joshi said injury to their key defender Puja Rana cost them the match.

“We conceded because of the weakness of our defenders. If Puja was fit, it would have been a lot different,” said Joshi.

Earlier in the day, Waling Municipality romped to their first victory with a 10-0 win over bottom placed club Chaudandigadhi Municipality thanks to a double hat-trick from Cameroonian Metho Eludie Ruth.

Ruth scored her first hat-trick inside the first 19 minutes and got her second after the break in the biggest rout of the tournament so far. Samjhana Sharma scored a brace, and Manmaya Damai and another Cameroonian signing Touta Oranella Evanick Noelle also netted a goal each for Waling.

Ruth opened the scoring in the seventh minute and added two more in the ninth and 19th minutes, as Waling went ahead 4-0 before the break with Manmaya finding the net in the 33rd minute. Noelle made it 5-0 four minutes after the break. Ruth then scored her fourth and fifth goals in the 63rd and 71st minutes before Sharma bagged her brace in the 80th and 82nd minutes to make it 9-0. Ruth then added her sixth in the injury time to finish off the game.

With the win, Waling have five points after three matches and are level with Police. Tribhuvan Army Club and Biratnagar have four points each.

Waling coach Dilip Thapa was full of praise for foreign players after the win. “After conceding seven goals, we were focused on scoring and we did score indeed. The foreign players have started to find form now and their impact is outstanding,” said Thapa.

“Our upcoming matches are important. We next play APF on Saturday and we will give our best,” he added.

This is another disappointing loss for Chaudandigadhi who are yet to win this season and remain at the bottom. They have now conceded 23 goals in three games and scored just one.

“We were unable to keep possession today. The goal difference in today’s game has rocked the confidence of our players. But in the next match, we will play for three points,” said Chaudandigadhi coach Dipak Thapa. They next play Biratnagar on Saturday.

Chandrapur Municipality will face the Army on Friday.