Football
Bista goal keeps MMC in AFC Cup race
The captain scores the only goal in a 1-0 win over Brigade Boys that sends Manang Marshyangdi Club to the top of table.Sports Bureau
Captain Anjan Bista scored the solitary goal for Manang Marshyangdi Club (MMC) as they edged Brigade Boys Club 1-0 to climb on top of the Martyrs Memorial 'A' Division League, keeping afloat their AFC Cup hopes at the Pokhara Stadium on Saturday.
Bista struck the decisive goal in the first half stoppage time to grab important three points at their recently adopted home grounds after Brigade Boys wasted golden scoring opportunity in the early first half when Sisir Lekhi fired above the bar from the spot.
The win lifted MMC two points clear on top of the table replacing Machhindra Club who have a match advantage over them. While MMC have 16 points from seven matches, Machhindra could reclaim top spot and a place for AFC Cup preliminary rounds if they beat Nepal Police Club in their next fixture on Sunday. Brigade Boys are in 12th position with relegation threat looming over them.
The team securing top position at the completion of the seventh round of the league will be eligible for the preliminary rounds of AFC Cup, the second tier inter-country club football tournament to be organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
In the evenly contested affair, Brigade Boys also squandered some scoring opportunities. Brigade Boys could have taken the lead in the 16th minute when midfielder Sishir Lekhi was fouled by Aditya Chaudhary inside the area and the match referee Nabindra Maharjan pointed towards the spot. But Lekhi ended up firing above the bar in the resulting penalty.
At the stroke of half-hour, Brigade goalie Gurpreet Singh punched captain Bista's strike to safety. But Bista broke the deadlock in the first half stoppage time with a header to score his third goal of the league campaign. The winger headed home a ball parried by goalie Singh in his bid to deny Dayananda Singh's strike.
Three Star snap six-match winless run
Three Star Club snapped their six match winless run with a 2-1 victory over neighbours Jawalakhel Youth Club at the early kick-off in Dasharath Stadium.
Early goals from Nepali international Ayush Ghalan and Ritik Kumar Khadka became sufficient for three times champions Three Star to register their second victory after defeating Chyasal Youth Club in their opening match on November 20. Indian midfielder Micholas Fernandes pulled one back for Jawalakhel in the second half but failed in their ambition of snatching a draw.
The victory lifted Three Star three spots up to fifth with 10 points, putting the brakes on Jawalakhel's two-match winning run. Jawalakhel are ninth with seven points.
Three Star opened the scoring in as early as the seventh minute. Ghalan collected a short pass from Sanjok Rai in the area and dribbled past defender Simanta Thapa before beating goalie Tikendra Thapa with his well placed strike from the close range.
The goal, first of the league for Nepali international Ghalan, also ended Three Star's goal drought in 284 minutes as they scored last in the third round match against Friends Club in a 1-1 draw with Mikchen Tamang achieving the target.
Jawalakhel could have levelled scores two minutes later but their Cameroonian forward was denied by goalie Priso Njanga with only the shot stopper in his way. Khadka doubled the advantage for Three Star in the 25th with a spectacular one-touch strike from the arch of the area to convert a short pass from Rai.
Three minutes later Indian midfielder Fernandes' 25-yard scorcher rattled the bar. Cameroonian goalie Njanga rescued Three Star in the stoppage time with a diving save to grab Loic Njimi Kouahim's strike from a crowded zone in Fernandes corner.
Jawalakhel reduced the deficit 10 minutes into the restart as Fernandes, left unmarked inside the area, made a well placed low strike from zone to convert Junior's cross fed by Santa Bahadur Gurung. Jawalakhel pressed hard for the second goal and came closer to scoring in the fading moments only for Jeevan Gurung to make a goalline clearance to deny Gaurab Shrestha's header.
Sankata held by Chyasal
In the late fixture at the Dasharath Stadium, Sankata Club and Chyasal Youth Club shared the spoils playing a goalless draw.
Sankata, unbeaten in the league, going through a draw-win-draw cycle played fourth draw in their seventh match and remained unchanged in the third place with 13 points. Chyasal started with forward Santosh Sahukhala, who arrived in Nepal on Thursday from Japan, and were successful to end their three-match losing streak. They, however, failed to climb out of the relegation zone and are languishing second from the bottom in the standings.
Chyasal coach Bal Gopal Sahukhala said that the arrival of Santosh Sahukhala, the Nepali international forward, emboldened the team. "Some positive changes were evident in the team and there were some remarkable attacks," said coach Sahukhala, adding that they failed to meet their three-point ambition.
Sankata coach Bishnu Gurung lamented the failure to capitalise on scoring chances. "We created numerous chances but failed to convert them. The presence of Santosh also made the opponents stronger," Gurung said.