Tribhuvan Army Club chalked up their sixth straight win at the ANFA Complex on Thursday, thumping Biratnagar Metropolitan City 7-0 to keep alive their fight against leaders Armed Police Force Club at top.

The win gave Army 22 points from nine matches, two away from the leaders. But time is ticking against Army as the reigning champions are inching closer to securing their fourth trophy having maintained cent per cent winning streak.

They were defeated by the giants APF 2-0 in their third match—the only time they failed to keep a clean sheet this season. But perhaps their most regrettable day was their goalless stalemate in the league opener on January 20 coming against a much weaker side Nepal Police Club.

Had they been fortunate enough to tow a win against Police, even by a smaller goal margin, it would have given them enough luck to push the contest to the final day at the Dashrath Stadium. They would then only need to beat APF to end their wait for their first-ever trophy.

Despite only two points separating the top two, APF still have a match advantage and can extend the gap to five points again if they overcome Waling Municipality on Saturday. And if they keep on their winning streak for two more games, against Nepal Police Club on March 15 and Biratnagar on March 17, the Army will be undone before the finale.

Army can now only hope and wait for a miracle and their chase was kept alive by Sharmila Thapa and Bimala BK both of whom scored a brace each.

Army were in front in the 18th minute when Bimala Chaudhary teed unmarked Thapa into the six yard box.

Sapana Lama extended the lead four minutes later scoring from outside the box, and Bimala BK added another in the 31st minute as her flying shot toward the target from near the touchline was too high for Biratnagar goalkeeper and captain Karina Dhimal.

Chaudhary furthered the lead with a one touch finish in the 35th after she was set up by Sapana Lama, and Rashimi Ghising made the score 5-0 before the break heading a cross from Chaudhary.

BK then got her second goal of the game with a long-range strike in the 50th and Thapa sewed up the rout with a header four minutes later.

“It was an easy win,” said Army coach Raju Tamang, whose side had defeated the same opponents with the same scoreline in the first leg.

Biratnagar coach Paras Chaudhary said they were not expecting such a big loss again.

“We were better in the second half,” said Chaudhary. “We could have done better and conceded less.”

Biratnagar lie fifth in the standings with 10 points.

Earlier, Waling inflicted more pain on bottom-club Chaudandigadhi Municipality registering a 7-1 win — that also helped them widen the gap against fourth-placed Nepal Police Club to three points who have a game in hand. Chaudandigadhi are yet to open the account after their ninth straight loss.

The club’s Cameroonian forward Metho Eludie Ruth, who had scored a double hat-trick in Waling’s 10-0 thrashing of Chaudandigadhi in the first leg, netted five and another African recruit Touta Oranella Evanick Noelle hit a brace for Waling.

But it was at least a moment of joy and relief for the winless Chaudandigadhi side when they pulled a shocking leveller through Anjana Thulung seven minutes after Waling took the lead through Ruth in the 25th minute.

It was Chaudandigadhi’s only second goal this season, with their first coming against Chandrapur Municipality on January 25—also Thulung finding the net minutes before the hour mark to give her side an unlikely lead before eventually surrendering the game 7-1.

But their celebration lasted only for a minute after Ruth dribbled the ball past goalkeeper Debika Shrestha into the back of the net to re-establish their lead, before adding another in the 44th with a solo finish.

Ruth then scored two more soon after the break, striking a left-footed shot into the bottom corner in the 48th and sending a low ball under the substitute goalkeeper Deepshika Baswakarma in the 55th.

Noelle added two more in the space of two minutes after seventy minutes to wrap up their win and accumulate 14 points from nine matches.

Despite the win, Waling coach Dilip Thapa rued missing goal scoring opportunities.

“We should have scored more, there were more chances,” he said.

But for Chaudandigadhi coach Dipak Thapa, the search for a point is still a big target.

“We will play for at least a point in the coming fixtures,” said a desperate Thapa, whose side will meet Biratnagar, Chandrapur and Police next.