Three Star has now won three matches in a row, and all by the same score.[break]
At the Halchowk ground, Santosh Sahukhala scored four goals as Laxmi Hyundai Manang Marshyangdi Club (MMC) came from behind twice to beat minnows Koilapani Polestar Club of Nawalparasi 7-3. With the four goals, Sahukhala has taken his goal tally to 11 in the league, two behind highest scorer Jumanu Rai of Nepal Police Club and one behind Bharat Khawas of the same departmental team.
Earlier, in the first match held at the Dasharath Stadium, Nepal Army Club was forced to settle for a goalless draw against top flight debutant Bauddha Football Club.
With the results, MMC progressed to second position from fourth with 19 points, three behind leader Police. Three Star jumped three spots to occupy sixth place with 16 points, pushing behind NRT with equal points to seventh on the basis of goals superiority.
Bauddha dropped one spot to eighth with 15 points, while Army climbed one spot to tenth place. Koilapani, yet to achieve its first victory, is at the bottom of the table with only one point.
Anil Ojha, who missed the last two matches for Three Star due to knee injury, scored the all-important goal from the spot in the 69th minute after Rajkumar Ghising was brought down by Saurav Shrestha in the box.
Three Star also failed to take advantage of the absence of two NRT defenders -- Raghu Prajapati and Olansile Sulaiman -- who were slapped with red cards in their last match against Army.
Neither of the teams could craft a single impressive move in the first half. During the stoppage time, Three Star goalie Kiran Chemjong made a brilliant save to deny NRT the equalizer as he punched a 25-yard freekick by Jeetendra Karki. He also denied Roshan Lamichhane and Ashim Jung Karki’s shots.
Three Star had an opportunity in the 65th minute when Bishnu Sunuwar headed in Ojha’s cross, but it went wide.
Three Star coach Meghraj KC expressed dissatisfaction toward his team’s performance. “The performance was zero and the boys did not seem spirited today,” said KC, while lauding the opponents’ performance.
KC’s counterpart Rajukaji Shakya said that the absence of Sulaiman cost his team dear. “The result could have been different had Sulaiman been there,” he added. Shakya also expressed satisfaction toward his side’s performance. “We were successful in our tactics despite the defeat,” he said.
Earlier, a heroic display from Bauddha goalie Binod Dangol prevented Army from achieving its third victory. Army dominated the first half of the match and frequently made attractive moves, but Bauddha came up with an improved show in the after the interval.
Dangol brilliantly saved a couple of strikes from substitute Deep Kumar Lama during the last 10 minutes. in He had also saved Tanka Basnet’s powerful left-flank strike in the fifth minute itself.
Bauddha could have taken the lead in the 51st minute when its African recruit Eugen Gray received a cross from Binod Gurung just ahead of the goal line, but an Army defender cleared the ball.
Army got limited to 10-man after Jukti KC got marching order one minute before the end of regulation time when he was booked with second yellow card. KC, a replacement of Nawayug Shrestha in the 59th minute was shown the first yellow card three minutes after his entry in the ground.
Bauddha coach Kiran Shrestha said that his side achieved its target. “Our target was not to lose point and we did it.”
Shrestha’s counterpart Dambar Singh Gurung of Army said that poor finishing once again cost his team dear.
At the Halchowk ground, bottom-placed Koilapani twice squandered its lead against one of the title contenders of the league. Chun Bahadur Pakhrin had put Koilapani, the only team from outside the Kathmandu Valley, ahead in the seventh minute but Anil Gurung found the equalizer in the 17th minute.
Koilapani was lucky to restore its lead a minute later when MMC skipper Tashi Tshering scored an own goal. But Sahukhala leveled the scores after a minute with his first goal. He netted three more in the 24th, 38th and 72nd minutes.
Similarly, Nirajan Khadka netted twice in the 23rd minute and injury time of the first half. Jangbu Sherpa scored the third goal for Koilapani in the 83rd minute.
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