Police clinch title as NRT lose to MMC


SOURCE: REPUBLICA

KATHMANDU, June 11: Nepal Police Club defended the title of Martyrs Memorial San Miguel A Division League Football after second placed New Road Team (NRT) lost 5-3 to Laxmi Hyundai Manang Marshyangdi Club (MMC) on Friday at the Dasharath Stadium.

With two more matches to play Police have added 46 points in their kitty while NRT with only a match in their hand have 40 points. MMC retained their sixth position with 27 points.

This is the second league title for Police after their participation in the league since 2003. Police had earlier won the title in 2006. The league had then been stalled due to internal disputes in domestic football. In their first and second participation in 2003 and 2004, Police were the runners-up and in 2005 they had finished in fourth spot.

On the way to their second consecutive league title, Police have remained undefeated in all 20 matches played so far and will be looking forward to continuing with their undefeated streak in the last two matches.

They have won 13 matches and played seven draws. They have scored 33 goals and conceded seven so far in the current season. They have 27 plus goals in their account which is also the highest goal difference among all the teams in the league.

Police coach Birat Krishna Shrestha attributed the victory to the hard work of his team. “We got this achievement due to hard teamwork between players, coach and management,” said the delighted coach. “Now our aim will be to continue with our undefeated run in the next two matches.”

Police will now meet third placed Three Star in their next match on Saturday and take on NRT in their last match on June 19.

“To win the league title is a great achievement. And we achieved this feat without two players of our set-Dipen Shrestha and Yogesh Shrestha. Some of our players were injured during Nepal´s participation is SAFF and SAG football.”

Police will bag a purse of Rs 2 million as the winners.

NRT in need of must win to keep their hope afloat suffered their highest goal margin defeat in the league after Korean striker for MMC Lee Ji Hoon completed his seventh hat-trick of the league. Hoon scored in the 41st, 83rd and in the last minute of stoppage time.

Earlier, Jagjeet Shrestha opened the scoring for MMC through a spot kick in the 10th minute after Ranjit Shreshta handled the ball in the box. The second goal for MMC came through Korean Oh Suchg Hwan in the 29th minute.

Despite conceding an early goal, NRT made a comeback in the 19th minute through Jeevan Sinkeman´s header to level the score at 1-1 through a header and took a 2-1 lead in the 24th minute after Nirajan Rayamajhi chipped over an advancing goalie Bishal Shreshta. However, they conceded three more goals until the final whistle. The third goal for NRT came from substitute Bijay Majhi in the 90th minute.

Jawalakhel beat Machhindra

In the first match, Samsung Jawalakhel Youth Club registered a 2-1 victory over G Five Machhindra Club. Jawalakhel were lucky to score the decider in the last minute of added four minutes through penalty. Skipper Raj Kumar KC converted the spot kick after Mahesh Khadka of Machhindra handled the ball inside the box.

Earlier, Bikram Lama had given Jawalakhel the lead in the 31st minute utilizing a rebounder off goalie Raju Nagarkoti. But Karna Limbu scored the equalizer in the 70th minute from close range in a short pass of Amir Shrestha.

Jawalakhel failed to take an early lead in the 15th minute as Raj Kumar Ghising´s spot kick was saved by goalie Nagarkoti.

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