A last-gasp strike from Laxman Ruchal secured Sankata Club a 1-0 win over Saraswati Youth Club in the Martyrs Memorial ‘A’ Division Football League at the ANFA Complex in Satdobato on Sunday.

As the match was seemingly headed towards a stalemate, man-of-the-match Ruchal tapped in a right-flank cross from foreign recruit Norbert Cedri Aba moments before the final whistle. In the first league match after five years, Tribhuvan Army Club had played a pulsating 2-2 draw with New Road Team (NRT).

Sankata dominated the game from the onset and created more than half a dozen chances. But they lacked cutting edge and were made to sweat until the last the moment to secure all three points. “The strikers were well below their par,” the former Sankata skipper turned coach Salyan Khadgi said. “We need to improve drastically on our scoring abilities,” said Khadgi adding that it was always tough to play in the first match.

Sankata tested Saraswati goalie Pradip Bhandari in the 19th minute when Ellon Maxwell fired straight as the hands of grateful custodian following a pass from Aba. Sankata produced yet another chance in the 22nd minute when Roshan Pahari’s headed attempt was comfortably foiled by goalkeeper Bhandari. Saraswati came close to scoring in the 44th only for Binod KC to be denied by custodian Raja Babu Thapa in one-on-one encounter.

Sankata kept constant pressure even after the break keeping the goalkeeper busy throughout the match. In the 56th Bhandari punched away a 35-yard screamer from Amit Tamang. A goal-bound strike from Ruchal in a Soujan Rai pass from the area was then foiled in the 87th minute. Two minutes later Maxwell wasted a perfectly driven pass from Soujan Rai to  by head off target.

Constant Sankata pressure finally told in the last minute thanks to Ruchal who also earned Rs 10,000 for his man-of-the-match performance. As the winners of the match Sankata will also get reward of Rs 50,000. Sankata coach Pradip Nepal said his side failed to broke the deadlock due to lack of proper coordination between the strikers. “We have come in the game with high hopes but were made to battle for victory,” said Nepal.

Meanwhile, the League now goes into an indefinitely break due to Nepal’s participation in the Bangabandhu Gold Cup Football Tournament scheduled for October 1-12 in Bangladesh. Nepali national team left for Dhaka on Sunday for the tournament. According to the football governing body All Nepal Football Association (ANFA), the next fixture will be announced depending on Nepal’s run in the tournament.  

The group stage of Bangabandhu Cup will finish on October 6 with the final slated for October 12. If Nepal fail to advance from the group stages, the league will resume quicker with possibilities of two round matches. But if Nepal make deeper run then only one round (seven matches) will be possible before the Dashain festival.