Nepal Police Club defeated Waling Municipality 4-1 at the ANFA Complex in Satdobato, Lalitpur on Tuesday to stay firmly in contention for top-two spot in the Super League stage of the ANFA Women’s League.

Goals by Niru Thapa, Anuska Sherpa and Puja Rana, and an own goal by Waling’s Dhana Bohara moved Police level with second-placed Tribhuvan Army Club on ten points from five matches. However, Police sit in the third position due to inferior goal difference.

Armed Police Force Club lead the standing with 12 points and have a match in hand.

Waling, still winless in the Super League, face increasingly slim hopes of reaching the top four and qualifying for the playoffs. Bagmati lie in fourth place with three points, which they earned with a victory against Waling, and appear poised to secure the playoff berth.

The top two teams enter Qualifier 1 where they face off against each other for a direct berth in the final. The losing side of Qualifier 1 will meet the winners of the Eliminator (to be played by the third- and fourth-placed teams) in Qualifier 2, with the winning side securing the remaining spot in February 29’s championship match.

Thapa put Police ahead in the 15th minute with a beautiful half volley. Thapa showed her deft skill to control a long pass from Monika Pulami Magar at the edge of the box, executed a sharp turn to find space and lofted a shot that brushed Waling goalkeeper Sanjina Majhi’s fingertips before finding the net.

Sherpa doubled Police’s lead in the 28th minute from almost the same position and in nearly a carbon copy of the opener as she brilliantly controlled a lobbed pass from Thapa, turned sharply and fired a low half volley into the bottom corner.

Rana continued the onslaught four minutes later. Rana darted through the Waling defence to meet a precise pass from Amrita Jaishi and smashed the ball into the back of the net.

Waling’s woes deepened in the 43rd minute when Bohara inadvertently diverted a header from Jaishi into her own net, making it 4-0 for Police at half time.

Waling showed a better game after restart and went close to scoring moments later. Sajina Koirala stretched the Police defence with a long through pass. Sushma Tamang found the ball and brilliantly set up Sukriya Maya but the forward’s hesitant shot lacked power to trouble Police goalkeeper Usha Nath.

Waling also showed a disciplined display at the back and prevented Police from causing further damage.

At the other end, Waling teased the Police box with a number of counter attacks.

Waling replaced their goalkeeper Majhi with regular Radhika Oli after the break following a poor display and the first choice goalkeeper made a good save in the 74th minute to deny Rana’s close range effort.

Police also rested Nath and sent in stand-in goalkeeper Sapana Rai after 79 minutes and it proved costly as Waling milked the change to score their first goal of the Super League stage in the 85th minute. Stand-in keeper Rai was at fault as she misjudged a counter attack and rushed off her line only to be beaten by Yashodha Kumari Chiral. Chiral reached the ball first, outwitted goalie Rai and calmly placed the ball into the deserted post from outside the box.

Waling have conceded 32 goals in five matches in the second round.