Police Inch Closer To Title; MMC Draw With Jawalakhel

SOURCE: REPUBLICA

KATHMANDU, June 9: Defending champions Nepal Police Club inched closer to the title on Wednesday when they clinched an impressive 4-0 victory over NIBL Friends Club to continue with their unbeaten run in the Martyrs Memorial San Miguel A Division League football at the Dasharath Stadium.

In another match, Laxmi Hyundai Manang Marshyangdi Club (MMC) played a 3-3 draw against Samsung Jawalakhel Youth Club.

The victory gave Police a six-point lead at the top of the table with two matches to go. Police have accumulated 46 points from 20 matches while New Road Team are in second place with 40 points.

Friends with 24 points dropped two spots to eighth position. Both MMC and Jawalakhel climbed one spot to sixth and seventh position respectively with 24 points apiece.

Jumanu Rai scored twice for Police to take his goal tally to nine after Pankaj Shahi opened the scoring, and Bhola Silwal sealed the match to score his fifth goal against Friends who got limited to 10 men in the 65th minute. Friends skipper Nur Raj Kafle was given marching orders by referee Bikash Mahat after he fouled Rai ahead of the box.

"We have now almost defended the title," said Police coach Birat Krishna Shrestha who termed their match against Friends to be vital in course of winning the title.

Shahi gave a touch to Suman Subedi´s header near the goalline that bounced hitting the inner edge of the bar in the 17th minute in a freekick delivered by Parbat Pandey to push Police ahead.

Rai doubled the tally in the 39th minute beating goalie Sagar Gurung in a long pass of Subedi and made a superb header in a corner of Pandey to make the score 3-0 in the 71st minute. Silwal made a one touch strike from the box in a long pass of Dipendra Paudel four minutes later to kill the match.

Police dominated every department of the match against Friends who could make only one post attack during the dying moments. Buddha Chemjong´s powerful long-range shot was brilliantly punched by Police goalie Ritesh Thapa.

Earlier, in the first match Ganesh Khadka scored a brace for MMC in the 43rd and 84th minutes and Shiva Shrestha scored another in the 60th minute.

For Jawalakhel, substitute Laxmi Shrestha opened the scoring in the 49th minute while Suraj Gurung and Raj Kumar Ghising added one each in the 86th and 87th minutes respectively.

Dissatisfied with his side´s performance MMC President Tashi Ghale declared that only three players of his team including skipper Tashi Tsering will be kept in the team in next year´s league.