Sports

Sankata remains on MMC heels

Two early goals gave Sankata Club a 2-0 win over Himalayan Sherpa Club (HSC) as it ent level on points with leader Manang Marshyangdi Club (MMC) in the Martyrs Memorial ‘A’ Division League at the ANFA Complex in Satdobato on Thursday. Sankata remains on MMC heels

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Prajwal Oli

Published at : December 14, 2018

Updated at : December 14, 2018 09:30

Kathmandu

Cameroonian Cedric Aba put Sankata ahead in the 11th minute and Dipesh Ale Magar doubled the advantage three minutes later. The victory propelled Sankata, which stretched its winning streak to four matches after losing the only match 5-1 against Tribhuvan Army Club, to 21 points, the as leaders MMC. But MMC, which has played a game less, leads the standings on superior goal difference and could move three points clear if it beats fourth-placed Army on Friday.

Sankata made its intent clear and thought it had taken an early ninth minute lead only for referee to rule Rabi’s Silwal’s headed goal as off side. Sankata, however, struck two minutes later when Aba scored took the ball from midfield, darted into the Sherpa area before unleashing a low drive at the far post. It doubled its advantage in the 14th through Dipesh Ale Magar who pouonced on a poor clearance from goalkeeper Kishor Giri to score for his team.

“Our plan of scoring early on paid off,” said Sankata coach Salyan Khagdi, who is the former skipper of the team. “Once we succeeded in scoring early goals, we resorted to defensive approach,” added the coach.

Despite going level on points with leaders MMC, Khadgi was keeping his feet on the ground, reiterating his team’s modest target: wounding up in Top Five.

Himalayan Sherpa tested Sankata in the 25th when a powerful Bishwas Shrestha shot was blocked by custodian Raja Babu Thapa. In the first half stoppage-time, Niraj Basnet’s flick header went straight into the hands of grateful Sherpa goalie Thapa.

In the second half, Sankata tightened up its defence allowing hardly any clear-cut chance to its opponents. In the 55th minute, Sankara goalie Thapa parried a freekick from Sherpa striker Shrestha. The closest the Sherpas came to pulling back a goal was when Shrestha rattled the bar in the 73rd from a freekick.

Himalayan Sherpa coach Subash Limbu blamed his weak defence for allowing early goals. “Our defenders took the game too casually and the opponents made to pay for it,” said Limbu also adding that his side also failed to convert chances that came its way. Limbu said Sankata’s defensive mindset after the break also did not helped their cause.

In the early match at the same venue, Nigerian forward Victor Amobi struck late for Saraswati Youth Club in its 1-0 victory over bottom-placed New Road Team (NRT). Saraswati was awarded the penalty after Sakal Regmi handled skipper Raj Kumar Ghising’s goal-bound shot in the six-yard box.

Saraswati played the last five minutes with a man down as Nigerian Francis Okechukuwu Onyeama was sent off for second bookable offence. With so little time left, NRT failed to make the numerical advantage count. The result meant, Saraswati remained unchanged in ninth place with nine points while bottom-placed NRT has just one point after eight matches.

At the APF grounds in Halchowk, Jawalakhel Youth Club (JYC) inflicted Nepal APF Club a 1-0 defeat to register its second victory of the campaign. Nigerian player Olalekane Afeez Lawal netted the all-important goal four minutes after the break. JYC climbed one spot up to 10th with seven points while APF remained on eighth with 10 points.

Today’s Fixtures

Police Vs Friends 1100 NST

Army Vs MMC 1430 NST

(Venue: Satdobato)

Prajwal Oli
Prajwal Oli is a sports coordinator for The Kathmandu Post, focusing on football, cricket and the National Sports Council. Before joining The Kathmandu Post in 2017, he spent more than eight years at Republica, specialising in football and sports politics, and at The Rising Nepal.