Nepal Armed Police Force (APF) Club edged NIBL Friends Club 1-0 in the Martyrs Memorial Red Bull A Division League match marred by punch trading resulting into sent offs two players here at the Dashrath Stadium on Tuesday.

In a match with less intensity and equally lesser shots on target, Nabin Lama finished a move started by Jangbu Sherpa to give the departmental team the lead in the 66th minute. Sherpa teed the ball at the right flank for Ganesh Lawati, who in turn cut back the ball at the far side for Lama to slam home from inside the area. The goal eventually turned out to be the decider as Friends rarely threatened the APF custodian Amrit Chaudhary.

Earlier, APF had a couple of half chances on goal as Friends goalie Ajit Prajapati punched out a Sudeep Sikhrakar 25-yard freekick in the 20th minute before Lawati shot inches wide of the target two minutes later. A decent APF shot on goal, however, came 10 minutes after resumption but the alert Friends keeper Chaudhary thwarted it. Chaudhary rose to the highest to somehow palm away a powerful freekick from Sherpa that kissed the bar and went out.

Buddha Lama should have done better for Friends than head off the target from close following an Anil Ojha corner in the 78th minute. That was as close as the Friends came to scoring in the entire match. Both the teams were reduced to 10 men in the 85th minute when Friends skipper Deepak Bhusal and APF's Bishal Shrestha was sent off for trading punches. Bhusal appeared to have started the brawl and Shrestha duly responded with punches of his own to prompt referee Bikash Mahat to flash on red cards for both.

APF should have won with a better margin had not Friends custodian Prajapati denied Lama a certain goal deep in the second half injury time. Prajapati punched out Lama's powerful effort over the bar for a corner. APF's Janak Singh Tharu, standing in for absent head coach Krishna Thapa, said that the result had given them a perfect start to the league campaign. "This win will help us in our upcoming matches," added Tharu.

Friends coach Megh Raj KC was not totally disappointed with the result. "It was a 50-50 game but they were able score," said KC adding that his squad will be better once the paperwork of three of their new foreign recruits is complete. "We paid for not being able to field the set team in the match," added KC.

NMB Machhindra Club and CMG Club Sankata, meanwhile, played a goalless draw to share a point each in the second match. Machhindra coach Johan Kalin termed the game as evenly poised. "It was a fair result," added Kalin who praised the good defense of both team.

Sankata coach Raju Kaji Shakya found his team improving from the one that participated in the recently held Ncell Cup. "The arrival of striker Olawale Afeez in the next match will make our team even more stronger," said hopeful Shakya. Afeez sat out of the match serving suspension for the last year's league game and will be available for next match.