A solitary goal from Sujal Shrestha handed Manang Marshyangdi Club (MMC) a 1-0 win over Lumbini Football Club in the Red Bull National League here at the Dashrath Stadium on Friday.
A solitary goal from Sujal Shrestha handed Manang Marshyangdi Club (MMC) a 1-0 win over Lumbini Football Club in the Red Bull National League here at the Dashrath Stadium on Friday.
MMC have six points from two matches but lie second in the standings behind leaders Three Star Club on goal difference. Lumbini FC are fourth on the nine-team ‘home and away’ League with a win and loss each. The club from Lumbini came into the second game after stunning pre-tournament favourites Nepal Police Club 1-0 in their opener.
Lumbini were able to hold the top-tier side until the first half. The seven-time A Division League champions MMC however broke the deadlock after the interval when Sujal scored in the 56th minute which ultimately turned out to be the decider. Biraj Maharjan curled in a precise freekick across the face of the goal for Shrestha to head home from close. Earlier, Shrestha was denied by the woodwork as his shot rebounded off the upright in the 32nd minute.
MMC should have won by even a bigger margin had not Lumbini goalkeeper Dillip Chhetri made two brilliant saves to deny Leonce Zikahe Dodoz and skipper Anil Gurung. Chhetri was in right place to acrobatically palm away a freekick from Dodoz that was heading into the top of the roof in the 59th minute. The Lumbini custodian then got hold of Gurung’s powerful shot in the 69th minute. The visitors were reduced to 10-man in the 82nd minute when Laxman Ruchal received a marching order after he was booked for the second time for a foul on MMC skipper Gurung.
Despite the victory, MMC coach Raju Kaji Shakya said his team was far from their usual flair. “My players are not playing to my expectation. They are not playing the way I am trying to mould them,” said Shakya, who only took charge of the team two days before the start of the league. “My aim is not just to win games but also play attractive football,” added Shakya.
Lumbini coach Yam Prasad Gurung said his team has not gelled in as a unit. “We have been only training together for less than a week and have not found proper coordination. Our boys were struggling to hold possession for long time and tried to compensate it with ‘power game’,” said the coach.
The league will resume on Monday after two days’ break with a match between Nepal Armed Police Force (APF) Club and Morang FC at the same venue.
20.12°C Kathmandu
