Kester netted twice to seal the victory for the Bangladeshi league champion after Everton had put the team ahead in the 31st minute. Dhanmondi was reduced to 10 men during the stoppage time of first half after Sharif was slapped with the second yellow card of the match by referee Laba Khatri for his unsporting behavior.[break]
Dominating the match from the beginning, Dhanmondi scored twice during the first half. Everton opened the scoring for the visiting side in the 31st minute when his powerful shot from 30 yards entered the back of the net.
Kester doubled the advantage three minutes before the interval and sealed the match in the 63rd minute utilizing a pass from Everton. Everton will miss the final as he received his second successive yellow card on Thursday.
Earlier, Dhanmondi wasted a scoring opportunity in the 40th minute when Everton hit a feeble shot in Kester´s pass. Similarly, Femi´s free-kick in the 58th minute of the match rebounded off the crossbar.
The home team, which was without its experienced players like Rajendra Tamang, Kiran Gurung and Roshan Hirachan, failed to create scoring chances. Gurung and Hirachan were booked with two yellow cards in previous matches, while Tamang has left for Hetauda to participate in the AFC B license course.
Uttam Gurung´s long-range shot for the home team in the 30th minute went far wide and Santosh Shrestha´s strike from the box in the 81st minute also missed the target.
Everton celebrates goal.
Despite the defeat, the home team´s coach Krishna Thapa expressed satisfaction toward his side´s performance. "The result was not surprising for me as I had expected to concede 2-3 goals prior to the match. The opponents have experienced and technically sound players," Thapa said.
Dhanmondi´s coach Saifulbari Titu lauded his team´s performance. "The boys played as expected. We were able to keep the ball under control and thus achieved an easy win," said Titu, who has also vowed to put up an even better performance in the final.
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