Relegation battle poised as APF beat Boys Union

SOURCE: REPUBLICA

KATHMANDU, June 10: The relegation battle in the Martyrs Memorial San Miguel A Division League Football has become interestingly poised after bottom placed Armed Police Force (APF) defeated another relegation candidate Boys Union Club 1-0 on Thursday to climb out of the relegation zone with only a match in hand for both teams.

In another match, another relegation battlers Sankata Kathmandu Mall Club lost 3-1 to fourth placed Nepal Army Club. However, the fate of two teams to be relegated will be decided only after all three teams play their last matches in the 12-team contest.

Following the results, APF moved to 10th position from the bottom with equal 19 points as that of Boys Union who dropped one spot to 11th position. Sankata with 17 points dropped one spot to the bottom of the table. Army retained fourth position with 36 points.

Ganesh Lawati scored the lone goal in the second half in APF´s victory over Boys Union. Lawati made a semi-volley strike from the box in a long pass of Sudeep Shrestha. APF failed to double their scoring in the 84th minute when Lawati failed to score in a one-on-one with goalie Sabin Regmi.

In another match, Sankata despite taking lead in the first-half failed to continue the streak and move out of relegation zone.

Skipper Nirajan Malla had given Sankata a 34th minute lead when defender Daimoj Dhimal failed to clear an easy ball in the box. Malla dribbled past goalie Bikash Malla to score the first goal.

But Army defender Ram Kumar Biswas leveled the scoring in the 57th minute through a header in a cross of Hiranya Magar, and Amrit Basnet added another to make the score 2-1 with a header while glovesman Suman Legal moved ahead to catch the ball.

Chakra Tamang sealed the match in the 76th minute when goalie Legal dropped a long shot of the Army player.

Army manager Mindhoj Khadka said that his side made a comeback in the match due to hard work and discipline.

RCT Punished

The All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) has imposed a one-year ban on RCT player Binod Shahi from all the official matches of ANFA and the club has been fined Rs 5,000. Binod had manhandled referee inspector Gyani Raja Shrestha during their match against Sankata on Monday.

Official Ram Shrestha of RCT who misbehaved with fourth official Sachin Amatya has been banned from official matches of ANFA for six months. Other officials Shankar Shrestha, Changejlal Shrestha, and coach Baiju Kapali have been barred from sitting in the players´ box in their upcoming two matches.

Another coach Madhu Karki will not be allowed to sit in the players´ box in their upcoming match against Friends Club.

Similarly, New Road Team player Sagar Thapa who provoked the spectators with his unsporting behavior during their match against Three Star has been warned not to repeat such activities.