Football
Goalkeeping blunders cost Chaudandigadhi first point
Mistakes from goalkeeper Debika Shrestha and her substitute Susmita Rai condemned Chaudandigadhi to 2-1 defeat against Chandrapur.Sports Bureau
Chaudandigadhi Municipality’s two goalkeepers made costly errors in both halves, helping Chandrapur Municipality grab a 2-1 win on Tuesday as the bottom club’s miserable run continued with an 11th consecutive loss this season.
Rajani Thokar and Dil Kumar Rana Magar scored—both coming after blunders from goalkeepers Debika Shrestha and substitute goalkeeper Susmita Rai—to hand Chandrapur their third win of the season. Rabina Maya Ghale pulled one for Chaudandigadhi but her goal could not lift the gloom of the error-prone goalkeepers, both of whom endured a horrible afternoon.
Chandrapur took the lead in the added time of the first half, after goalkeeper Shrestha failed to take hold of an easy shot from Thokar.
Thokar hit a feeble shot straight towards Shrestha after meeting a low cross from Sabina Chaudhary inside the penalty area but the ball slipped through the goalie’s grasp before finding the bottom corner.
Chaudandigadhi coach Dipak Thapa punished Shrestha for the mistake, replacing her with Rai minutes before the hour mark in search of their first point. But, Rai too, was at fault in the 67th minute.
The substitute goalie needlessly advanced outside the box and tried to steer the ball clear but Chandrapur defender Magar blocked it before smashing into a deserted post.
Midfielder Tamang gave Chaudandigadhi hope a minute later firing over the approaching Chandrapur goalkeeper from the edge of the box but the winless side could not find an equaliser and stayed rock-bottom with no points at all.
Despite the loss, Chaudandigadhi coach Thapa lauded an improved performance.
“If we compare our performance to our previous matches, we see a lot of improvement. However, we have not been able to win a game, said Thapa, whose side have conceded a combined 94 goals this season in reply to their four.
“Our next match is against Nepal Police Club. I hope we can bring [a good] result,” he added.
Chandrapur coach Noorraj Kafle also praised his players for the win.
“It is always good to win. We played well today,” said Kafle.
Chandrapur lie sixth in the table with nine points.