In a caution free match, Bansbari took lead as early as the second minute of the match. Pukar Ale Magar scored through a stunning free kick. [break]NRT, which dropped its first choice goalkeeper Raju Yogi after his feeble performance in the recently concluded Safal Pokhara Cup, suffered early deficit as its second choice goalie Sagar Gurung was left clueless by Ale´s free kick.
Diwas Gurung of NIBL Friends Club (Blue) and Tek Bahadur Budhathoki Tribhuwan Army Club (Green) in action. (Photo: Bikash Karki)
However, NRT captain Laxman Ruchal leveled the score in the sixth minute to energize his team. Ruchal guided a cross from Sushil KC into the net through a header, as he found Bansbari goalie Ajeet Prajapati advancing to deny him.
Sequn then came into limelight as he scored his first through a powerful shot from the edge of the box in the 26th minute. He scored his second in the 39th minute as he received a pass from compatriot Akeen Oladimeji Babatunde near the halfway line and rushed to dodge goalie Prajapati.
Sequn completed his hat-trick in the 66th minute. Akeen provided a pass to the unmarked Sequn to take the scores to 5-2.
In between, Akeen had utilized Ruchal´s cross to score the fourth goal for the NRT in the 54th minute.
Pukar Ale had cut the lead to 4-2 in the 59th minute with a stunning 40-yard shot in the 60th minute.
Bishal Tamang scored the third goal for Bansbari in the 81st minute. Clever short passes from Ale Magar to Naran Khadka and from Khadka to Tamang left no clue to NRT defenders and goalkeeper.
Bansbari coach Hari Om Shrestha admitted the defense lapses against NRT and said his side is not set yet. "Unless we recruit some foreign players, we have relegation risk. However, we are in the process to recruit some in near future," said Shrestha.
NRT coach Diken Suwal said that his team is aiming high this season, but he accepted that the first match exposed some weaknesses of his side.
In the day´s late kick off, Friends Club goalkeeper Birendra Chand defused some attack and Army forward wasted few chances as the match ended in a goalless draw.
Friends Club, which enrolls national team captain Sagar Thapa and players like Jagjeet Shrestha and Deepak Bhusal, could not create any threat to Army. On the other hand, Chand denied army man Tek Bahadur Budhathoki in the 66th minute. Newly recruited Army forward Bharat Khawas shot wide in the 80th minute, while Nawa Yug Shrestha failed to utilize a chance in the 86th minute.
Army coach Yogambar Suwal applauded performance of his side and termed the goalless result a ´bad luck´. "We have scope to improve. We failed to score despite playing better than the opponent," said Suwal.
Friends coach Dil Kaji Gurung praised goalkeeper Chand. "Goalkeeper was good in today´s match. Our boys labored hard to stop Army in a draw. We are in a process to recruit some more players and we hope to be stronger in the upcoming matches," said Gurung.
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