Ten-man Jhapa squeezed their way into the top four of the Nepal Super League standings after they defeated Dhangadhi 2-0 at Dasharath Stadium in Kathmandu on Wednesday.

Anjan Bista and Samiraj Thokar scored after break to help the Elephants climb two places up to fourth in the table that reignited their hopes to make the playoffs.

A draw or a win would have sent Dhangadhi into the playoffs but the outcome leaves the top four race wide open as the group stage nears the end.

Pokhara Thunders, on 14 points, booked their ticket to the playoffs on Tuesday with a 1-0 win over Butwal Lumbini.

Dhangadhi are second with 12 points and face tricky Pokhara in their last group fixture on Friday.

Jhapa, who have 10 points, kicked Kathmandu Rayzrs out of the top four position but the defending champions still have two matches on hand.

Kathmandu, on nine points, face Birgunj United on Thursday before taking on third-placed Lalitpur City, who have 10 points, on Saturday.

Up next for Jhapa is Chitwan, who are out of contention along with Sporting Ilam.

Dhangadhi were the only unbeaten side of the franchise league and started as favourites but it was Jhapa who almost found the net three seconds into the game when Prashant Laksham stole the possession from Rohan Karki to set up Jorge Peiaez Sanchez but Dhangadhi goalkeeper Mohamad Taha reacted quickly to foil the effort.

Dhangadhi’s Ahmed Hijaji was a constant threat and deadly with his finishing touch.

But Jhapa’s goalkeeper Stefan Cupic was better and thwarted Hijaji’s destructive attempts twice in the first half, with the Lebanon forward’s first whack at target coming through a volley as early as the third minute. Hijaji also tried another stab with a second and more powerful volley from the outside edge of the area in the 20th minute but Cupic stretched full length to make a brilliant save.

Cupic also brilliantly kept out a curling freekick from Kamal Shrestha two minutes later.

Cupic is the most successful goalkeeper in the league this season having conceded only twice in seven matches. He has now kept clean sheets in five matches.

Jhapa’s struggle rested far up front as Oriol Mohedano Segura’s men had been able to score only twice before Wednesday.

Sanchez was wasteful again, missing another golden opportunity after failing to execute a routine task of controlling the ball in front of the goal in the 24th minute but the Spaniard definitely teased Taha with a powerful shot in the closing minutes of the first half.

Captain Bista found the breakthrough eight minutes after the break heading in a precise cross from his national team mate Chhring Lama.

Dhangadhi sent in Olawale Afeez after the hour mark in search of an equaliser but Cupic guarded the post to protect the lead, saving a lofted header from Fode Fofana in the 69th minute.

But Jhapa added their second goal in the 76th minute, courtesy of Pradip Lama’s smart cut-back that evaded the stretched palms of Taha before finding Sanchez who rolled the ball towards the empty net.

Sanchez could have written his name on the scoresheet but Samiraj Thokar poked the already goal-bound ball from the goalline to make sure it went in.

The frustrated Sanchez then found himself confronted by his own teammate Cupic in the dying minutes after letting through the wall a Dhangadhi freekick that went just wide of the post.

The most undesirable moment for Jhapa was the sending off of Diraj Thatali who was shown a straight red for a nasty tackle on Saimon Limbu.