Three Star Club left the ongoing match-fixing scam behind them and paid a unique tribute to their deceased president Lalit Krishna Shrestha by clinching the Red Bull National League title with a clinical 2-0 victory over a lackluster Manang Marshyangdi Club (MMC) here at the Anfa Complex in Satdobato on Saturday.

While Manang needed an outright victory to claim the title, a draw for Three

Star was enough for them to win the maiden National League played under ‘home and away’ format. The Lalitpur-based top tier outfit, however, played as champions from the beginning before second half goals from Olawale Afeez and Bijay Dhimal secure them the title.

Three Star finished at the top of the table with 35 points - two ahead of second-placed Tribhuvan Army Club and four adrift of MMC. The title triumph saw Three Star hit a jackpot of Rs 10 million, while TAC got five million rupees and MMC had to content for Rs 2.5 million.

Three Star desperately needed to win the title to console them after the club was left shocked by  the loss of club president Lalit Krishna Shrestha, who died of electrocution at his home on June 13, and were left gutted by the news of arrest of their skipper Sagar Thapa and his deputy Sandeep Rai for an alleged involvement in match fixing along with former internationals Anjan KC and Bikash Singh Chhetri, and Nepal Police Club goalkeeper Ritesh Thapa.

KC, also a former Three Star player, had coached the club in the first six matches of the national league before quitting his post citing personal reasons. However, the match unfolded like no calamity had ever surrounded Three Star. MMC were also depleted by injuries to some of their key players but were no match to an attacking football that Three Star displayed.

After League’s best goalkeeper Kiran Chemjong kept MMC at bay denying a powerful shot from Ravi Paswan at the stroke of the half time, it was all Three Star in the game. Afeez put Three Star ahead two minutes after resumption when in a beautiful move, Jagjeet Shrestha set the forward for fine header who made no mistake to beat keeper Dipesh Yadav.

As MMC were looking for an equaliser, Dhimal close all doors for their fightback striking in the injury time slotting home from close on a cross from Bijay Gurung. In a frantic closing stages, MMC were reduced to nine men with Moussa given marching orders for his second bookable offence and Sushil KC getting a straight red for a scuffle with Dhimal who was also given red by Fifa referee Lava Khatri.

Three Star’s title triumph was made possible by MMC themselves with coach Raju Kaji Shakya not being able to forge a strong attack up front at a time when his side needed an outright win. MMC never threatened Three Star post once they fell behind in the match.

On the contrary, it was a happy beginning for Three Star’s newly recruited coach Rajendra Tamang who was appointed for the remaining 10 matches after KC left the club. Under Tamang, Three Star remained unbeaten, winning seven and drawing three games. “Everyone had done really hard work including the players and the management. The title is a result of everyone’s commitment,” said Tamang.