Samsung Jawalakhel Youth Club (JYC) had earlier defeated 10-man Friends Club 2-1 in the first match at the Dasharath Stadium. JYC also has nine points from three matches along with Police, but it is behind the departmental team in goal difference. [break]
Bharat Khawas scored a hat-trick while the other two goals came form Yogesh Shrestha and Jumanu Rai as Police cruised past BBC, although Police had to wait until the last ten minutes for three late goals despite dominating the game from the beginning.
Yogesh Shrestha scored the first goal for Police early in the 12th minute off a corner kick from Parbat Pandey but the defending champion found it difficult to break through the stubborn defense of BBC in the first half.
“It is difficult to play with unheralded teams because they pack up their defense,” said Police coach Birat Krishna Shrestha during the post-match press conference.
Jumanu Rai came close to scoring in the 19th minute but shot wide after penetrating deep into the box. Bhola Silwal had the best chance to double the lead in the 25th minute but his shot at the unguarded post, after BBC custodian Suman Ranjitkar fell on the ground while punching a long shot, hit the right pole and went out.
It was only after the break that Police scored the second set-piece goal. Bharat Khawas scored a header in the 48th minute once again off the corner from Parbat Pandey, who was later on substituted by Roshan Karki for having picked up yellow card early in the first half.
Rai and Silwal had some good chances to score but were denied by keeper Ranjitkar in the 51st and 72nd minutes respectively.
BBC, having hardly threatened Police in the entire match, finally succumbed to the pressure in the 80th minute after Khawas picked up a pass from Silwal near the box and scored a one versus one goal to give a 3-0 lead to his team.
Two more goals followed in quick succession as BBC players looked shattered after conceding the third goal. Jumanu Rai scored the fourth goal in the 82nd minute striking from about 22 yards in a solo effort.
Khawas completed the rout three minutes later as he chipped in a corner kick from Bhola Silwal.
Police could have scored more but BBC keeper made a spectacular dive to deny Jumanu Rai another goal in the second minute of the injury time.
BBC coach Sanoj Shrestha said his team conceded three goals from corner because the players were weak in marking the opponents.
Police coach Shrestha said the real test is yet to begin as his team has faced only minnows till now. “We are expecting tough challenge from Himalayan Sherpa, Manang Marshyangdi and Jawlakhel Youth Club,” he said.
“These three matches will only help to build up our confidence,” added the coach whose team is plagued by the injuries of nine of his players.
In the earlier kickoff, Jawalakhel´s Kenyan player Gerard Mukonza Mutiso scored a penalty in the 37th minute after he was brought down by Sunil Raut.
It was Raut´s second bookable offence and he got the marching orders. However, Friends´ coach Paras Chaudhary said the referee´s decision was too harsh. “He should have only given a warning. We lost because we were under pressure after losing one man,” he said.
Bishal Rai ´B´ scored the second goal in the 67th minute. He shot the ball into the bottom right corner of the post in a cross from Bishal Rai ´A´.
Friends´ hit back a goal capitalizing on an error of Prabin Karki. Santosh Tamang snatched the ball from Karki and exchanged passes with Surendra Tamang, who slammed the ball into the post in the 73rd minute.
With the second successive defeat in three matches, Friends has only three points. Meanwhile, BBC is yet to open its account.
Related story
‘A’ Division League Football: Police, Brigade Boys play draw
-1779250876.webp)
