NRT register consolation win

SOURCE: REPUBLICA

KATHMANDU, May 16: New Road Team (NRT) registered a consolation 4-3 win over Hasus NTCPE of Chinese Taipei on Sunday in the last match of their AFC President´s Cup Group ´A´ qualifiers. Both NRT and Hasus had already crashed out from the race of final round.

Nabin Neupane scored the winner for NRT who twice came from behind to open the account in the points table. After trailing by a goal in the 17th minute, NRT took a 2-1 lead in the first half. Ranjit Shrestha scored the equalizer in the 43rd minute through a superb strike from outside the box in his solo effort.

Danish striker Sayan Mosavi of NRT added another in the second minute of the first half injury time. Mosavi scored utilizing a pass from Neupane.

Hasus leveled the scoring in the 58th minute and scored another three minutes later to take a 3-2 lead again. De Cai Su had scored the first two goals for Hasus and the third came from skipper Po-Liang Chen.

NRT came up with an attacking strategy after trailing for the second time and equalized the scoring in the 77th minute. Jeevan Sinkeman scored from a close range in a pass set by Biraj Maharjan and Neupane sealed the match in the 81st minute.

NRT coach Yogamber Suwal said the team came under pressure due to weak defense line up.

NRT had lost both of their previous matches in the regional tournament -- 2-0 against the home team Abahani Limited and 3-0 against Dordoi Bishkek, the two-time title holders and five-time finalists.

Until the sixth edition of the President´s Cup, NRT have become the third team from Nepal to crash out from the group stage. Manang Marshyangdi Club in 2006 and Nepal Police Club last year had also crashed out from the group stage.

Three Star Club had entered the semifinals in the first edition and Police made it through to the final in 2007 and lost in the semifinal in 2008.

In another match, Dordoi Biskek of Kyrgyzstan toiled hard to earn a place for the final round playing a goalless draw to Abahani Limited of the hosts.

Dordoi added seven points to top the group from three matches but Abahani with five points from as equal matches played were eliminated because ITTU from Turkmenistan of group C collected four points from two games. ITTU became the best runners up playing one match less than teams of other groups.