Defending champions and leaders Armed Police Force Club demolished Koshi Province 8-0 to maintain their unbeaten record in the ANFA Women’s League on a crazy high-scoring day that also saw second-placed Tribhuvan Army Club crush Chandrapur 10-0 at the ANFA Complex in Lalitpur on Friday.

Rashmi Ghishing was the star of the show for APF with five goals, while Anita KC and Anita Basnet were also on target. The victory also helped the reigning champions preserve their three-point lead at the summit. APF have 19 points from seven games with six victories and a draw.

Later in the afternoon, Army pulled off the second biggest victory of the season so far after Chandra Bhandari and Amisha Karki netted hat-tricks against Chandrapur. Dipa Shahi scored a double, while their goalkeeper Anjana Rana Magar also got to the scoresheet scoring a penalty kick. Army also boast the record for the biggest victory of the season so far. They had beaten Sudurpaschim 14-1.

At Satdobato, a rampant APF opened the scoring in the 5th minute through KC who tapped in a cross from Ghising.

Basnet doubled APF’s lead in the 19th minute scoring a freekick.

APF stayed quiet throughout the first half but Ghising had something else in mind and furthered the lead in the 56th minute heading in a cross from Basnet.

Basnet added the team’s fourth in the 81st scoring another freekick.

Ghising then found the net three times in the space of four minutes late in the game to pull off a huge victory for APF.

Ghising now leads the goal scoring chart with nine goals. Waling Municipality’s Jackline Nassali is second in the race with seven goals.

Army are bidding to win their first trophy of the women’s league and showed APF they are the true contenders by mauling sixth-placed Chandrapur.

Army showed no mercy and took the lead early in the 2nd minute after Hima Chaudhary pounced on a defensive mistake from Sarita Kumari Nath and set up Bhandari to tap into an empty net.

It opened the floodgates as Karki added Army’s second in the 28th clinically finishing a pass from Bimala Chaudhary.

Dipa Shahi added more salt to Chandarapur wounds in the 32nd minute after goalkeeper Usha Thapa failed to get her hands on a cross from Bimala.

Bhandari extended Army’s lead in the 40th taking advantage of a mistake from goalkeeper Thapa. Thapa needlessly deserted her post to unsuccessfully clear a through pass from Karki allowing a confident Bhandari to dribble past her, another chasing defender and slam into the back of the net.

Karki then put Army 5-0 in front before the break, beautifully chipping over Chandrapur goalie Thapa.

Chandrapur replaced goalkeeper Thapa with Sujata Jhari Magar after the break but it could not stop Army from scoring more.

Shahi added Army’s sixth from the penalty seven minutes after the restart after Jhari Magar brought down Bhandari inside the box.

Chandrapur conceded another penalty midway into the second half after their captain Saloni Rana Magar handled the ball inside the area. Army goalkeeper Rana Magar took the opportunity to refresh herself after sitting unemployed most of the time at the other end.

Karki completed her hat-trick a minute later with a mesmerising finish after good work from Bhandari.

Bhandari then added her third and team’s ninth in the 84th minute with a solo effort before Sharmila Thapa completed the statement win two minutes later.

The victory gives Army 16 points from seven games.

The top five teams at the end of the single-round robin league will progress to the Super League, which will be played in a double round robin format. The top four teams from the Super League will then proceed to the Qualifiers, Eliminator, and Final.

Nepal Police Club and Waling Municipality—both on 12 points—will battle for the third spot when they lock horns against each other on Saturday.