Nepal’s Machhindra FC pulled off a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Bhutan’s Paro FC in the Preliminary Round 1 of AFC Cup at the Dasharath Stadium on Tuesday to set up a next phase meeting with Mohun Bagan of India.

Machhindra conceded an early own goal but forwards Bimal Gharti Magar, Olawale Afeez and Ayush Ghalan hit the targets for the Martyrs Memorial ‘A’ Division League runners-up, who had got the opportunity to compete in the tournament due to ineligibility of champions Church Boys United (CBU).

Evans Asante hit back the second goal for Bhutan Premier League champions Paro in the mid second half and pushed on for equaliser until the fading moments, but few excellent saves by goalie Bishal Shrestha and stubborn defending by Machhindra players put Paro attack on bay at the wet pitch.

Machhindra will meet Indian Super League side Mohun Bagan in the Preliminary Round 2 of the tournament on August 16 in Kolkata. The winner between the two will vie against the winners between Bangladesh’s Dhaka Abahani and the Maldives’ Club Eagles for a place in the group stage.

Despite conceding an early goal, the home team controlled the game in the first half and put the visitors on the back foot. But Paro dominated later stages of the game and piled up pressure consistently.

“I am happy to win the game but we failed to get a big margin victory as expected,” Machhindra coach Kishor KC said at the post match conference. “We were able to play our game only for 70 minutes but failed to stop the opponent’s crosses and penetration in the latter stages.”

CBU should have represented Nepal in the inter-country club football tournament but they had not obtained AFC Club licence, a mandatory requirement to compete in the event organised by Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

Visiting Paro went ahead as early as in the eighth minute after Machhindra captain cum goalie Shrestha pushed the ball inside his own net in a scuffle to deny forward Yeshi Dorji’s close range effort.

Nepali international Gharti Magar brought the match on level terms five minutes later after the forward made a towering header inside the area to convert defender Shrestha’s brilliant right flank cross. Forward Ayush Ghalan netted second for Machhindra in the 15th minute firing home Gharti Magar’s pass from the area after controlling a pass by Afeez.

The Nigerian forward made sure the home team went into break with a 3-1 cushion as he made a powerful low header in the 39th to convert Omolaja Kareem’s right flank cross fed by Ghalan.

Paro threatened the hosts continuously in the second half with forward Dorji forcing custodian Shrestha for a diving save in the 57th minute. Six minutes later Stephen Dang headed Phurba Wangchuk’s freekick over the bar.

The visitors’ pressure was rewarded in the 71st minute when Ghana forward Evans Asante scored in his lone effort sprinting the ball from right flank and sending the ball past goalie with his powerful attempt.

Paro continued to press for the equaliser and provided a scare in the 89th minute after forward Kazuo Homma tapped Asante’s cross forcing goalie Shrestha for a one hander save. Gharti Magar could have killed the game in stoppage period but he ended up hitting wide at open net from close range. He was set by substitute Aashish Chaudhary beating past Paro goalie Gyeltshen Zangpo.