BUC pile pressure on Sankata, NPC on track

Source: ekantipur.com

Picture: ekantipur.com

KATHMANDU, APR 28 - A hat-trick from Raju Rai gave relegation battlers Boys Union Club (BUC) a vital 3-1 win against fellow strugglers Sankata Kathmandu Mall Club to move one place up in standings in the Martyrs’ Memorial San Miguel ‘A’ Division League at the Dashrath Stadium on Tuesday.

BUC, at the bottom of the table ahead of today’s match, leapfrogged Sankata for 11th place with 12 points, two more than Sankata, and on equal points with 10th Armed Police Force.

Nepal Police Club (NPC), meanwhile, stayed on their title track with a hard fought 2-1 win over mid-table G-Five Machhindra Club. The win allowed NPC, on 41 points, to maintain their seven-point cushion over second placed New Road Team. Machhindra, on 24 points, remained fifth despite the defeat. They enjoy a threadbare one-point lead over Manang Marshyangdi Club.

BUC, trailing after a 31st minute goal by Sujal Shrestha, came to life on 76th minute through a goal from Raju Rai, who quickly added two more on 89th and 94th minutes to bag a vital point for BUC in their battler for survival - which looks increasingly harder with just five matches to go before the curtain falls.

Sankata dominated early proceedings going close on ninth minute when Kailash Dangol curled his free kick inches away from the target. Santosh Shrestha could have made a big difference for Sankata had he not missed a sitter four minutes later from a goalmouth melee. But Sujal Shrestha capitalized on the constant Sankata pressure on 31st minute after he beat off-side trap to place his effort coolly at the back of the net. Nirajan Malla also came close to scoring later in the first half.

In the second half, Sankata’s first half urgency was nowhere to be seen as a rejuvenated BUC turned on the screws, scoring three goals inside the next 28 minutes thanks to Raju Rai’s hat trick.

In the first match of the day, early goals from Dipendra Paudel and Chetan Ghimire put NPC firmly in contention for the title.

Dipendra Paudel gave NPC an early lead on 14th minute and Cheten Ghimire added another three minute later, putting NPC 2-0 up in the opening 17 minutes. NPC were dominant after taking the lead and it took Machhindra more than an hour to cut the deficit when Naresh K.C. scored for them on 73rd minute with a shot from the edge of the penalty box.