Himalayan Sherpa registered their first win at the end of the fifth round with a resounding 3-1 victory over Brigade Boys Club in the Martyrs Memorial 'A' Division League at the Dasharath Stadium in Tripureshwar on Sunday.

Kenyan forward Mutamba Vunyoli, Suresh Kumal and Manish Thapa scored one each for Sherpa while Bhuwan Basnet hit back for Brigade Boys.

Sherpa, who came into the match after two draws and as many defeats, climbed five spots up from the relegation zone to eighth position. They are level on five points with Nepal Police Club and Brigade Boys.

The victory also eased pressure on Sherpa coach Yugal Kishor Rai. "I am happy to get my first win in my debut season as coach," said Rai. "Getting on the scoresheet is essential for a win and we have been improving on that front. I have told in the beginning that one could make a bright start but giving continuity to that until the last match would be challenging. But we have been improving gradually ."

Sherpa took an early fourth minute lead through Vunyoli when he headed captain Bishwas Shrestha's freekick inside the crowded zone. They came closer to doubling their lead a few minutes later as Vunyoli headed Kumal's cross before goalie Anjal Shrestha punched the ball to safety.

Brigade hit back equaliser eight minutes after the restart as substitute Basnet unleashed a quick scorcher at the near post from the left flank capitalising on the pass by midfielder Sisir Lekhi. Sherpa restored one goal cushion in the 74th as forward Kumal beat an advancing custodian Shrestha exactly at the edge of the area after he found a long pass from defender Jiwan Gurung.

Substitute Manish Thapa, the 46th minute replacement of Bhison Gurung, ensured the victory for Sherpa with a last gasp goal. The sprinting midfielder found captain Bishwas's cross inside the area and sent the ball at the back of the net in a fifty-fifty challenge with goalie Shrestha.

"Of course we were under pressure after conceding the equaliser," said Sherpa coach Rai after the victory. "But we did not lose our cool. We have planned to play attacking football rather than defensive and we were successful in our strategy."

Brigade coach Sanoj Shrestha lamented that his side conceded an early goal before the team was set. "I think the goalie lacked experience today as we had picked him straight away from 'B' Division due to injury of our first choice goalie Purna Chemjong. The boys also failed to play to their potential," said Shrestha.