Three Star Club were eliminated from the race to secure a quarter-final berth while Manang Marshyangdi Club (MMC) recorded first win in the Lalit Memorial U-18 Football Championship at the Anfa Complex on Wednesday.  

Three Star ended their league campaign with a 2-2 draw against neighbours Friends Club, while a hat-trick from Bishwas Lama inspired MMC to a 3-0 thumping of Himalayan Sherpa Club. The results leave Friends and Three Star level at the top of the standings with five points each while Sherpas and Farwest have four each. MMC sit at the bottom with three points.

Despite leading the standings, Three Star are out of the quarter-finals contention having playing all four games. Four other teams in Group ‘B’ have a game in hand. Any outcome in the remaining two matches to be played between Friends and MMC and that of Sherpas and Farwest will send Three Star out from the race for knockout stages either on the basis of better point or head-to-head records.

In the early fixture, Friends took a sixth minute lead against Three Star through Sandesh Neupane. But Tikaraj Gurung equalised two minutes later for Three Star. Sanish Shrestha restored the lead for Friends in the 14th minute before Roashan Lamichhance restored the parity five minutes after the resumption.

In another match, Bishwas Lama stole the show for MMC reigniting their hopes of a quarter-final spot. Bishwas opened the scoring in the 18th minute against Sherpas, netted his second eight minutes after the interval before completing the hat-trick in the 75th. MMC coach Sailesh Karmachayra said the win in the penultimate match has reignited last eight hopes.

“Despite putting on decent shows in previous games, we were unable to taste victory. But today’s win will motivate us to pull off another win and a place in last eight,” he said.