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Aba seals Sankata victory
Cedric Aba-inspired Sankata Club beat Jawalakhel Youth Club (JYC) 2-0 in the Martyrs Memorial ‘A’ Division League on Monday.bookmark
Prajwal Oli
Published at : November 20, 2018
Updated at : November 20, 2018 09:08
Lalitpur
Cedric Aba-inspired Sankata Club beat Jawalakhel Youth Club (JYC) 2-0 in the Martyrs Memorial ‘A’ Division League on Monday.
The Cameroon national netted both the goals after the break despite Sankata playing more than 70 minutes with a man down in Satdobato. The result meant Sankata joined Three Star Club and Manang Marshyangdi Club to remain the only teams to have 100 percent winning record at the end of the second round. Jawalakhel is yet to open its account in the points table.
Fode Fotane got the marching order after being booked twice in quick succession, the last of which came in the 19th minute. Fotane received a yellow card in the 17th minute for a foul on Adama Doumbia before being cautioned yet again for elbowing an opponent. “The poor referring nearly cost us dear,” said Sankata coach Salyan Khadgi. “The game was filled with refereeing errors and the booking was needless. He should have warned the player instead.” Sankata had defeated Saraswati Club 1-0 in the opening game.
JYC, who came after a 1-0 defeat to Nepal Police Club (NPC) in the first round, threatened Sankata in the 19th only for Pema Lundup Sherpa to head above the bar on a Nir Bahadur Ale cross. JYC came closer to scoring again in the 52nd when Adama Doumbia’s powerful header was punched away to safety by goalkeeper Raj Babu Thapa.
Aba broke the deadlock in the 57th with a well-place finish from the area after being nicely set up by Suvash Gurung. JYC nearly equalised in the 83rd but for a superb save from Sankata goalie Thapa, who punched out a Gautam Shrestha’s 30-yard strike. Aba eased the Sankata nerves adding the second goal in the 85th with a dazzling back-hill shot from the area leaving JYC goalie Tekendra Thapa stunned. JYC coach Raj Kumar KC blamed lack of coordination for the defeat. “The team was disjointed and it did not even heed a minimum game plan,” said KC adding his foreign recruits are yet to gel in the team.
In the second game at the same venue, a last-gasp goal from Prabin Syangtan sealed a 1-0 win for Nepal Armed Police Force (APF) Club against Friends Club. The first win puts APF level on four points with NPC, Tribhuvan Army Club and Himalayan Sherpa Club, who beat Saraswati Youth Club 1-0 at the Halchowk grounds. Friends and Saraswati are yet to open their accounts in the points table.
Forward Syangtan scored the decisive goal in the last minute of the five-minute of stoppage time. After seeing APF’s numerous attempts prevented by Friends’ Bangladeshi custodian Mohammed Nurul Karim, Syangtan netted the all-important goal with volley from the edge of area.
“We played as per our plans and kept ball possession to ourselves most of the time which eventually paved way for the goal,” APF coach Rajendra Tamang said. “We were anticipating defensive approach from our opponent which also helped us keep calm until the end,” added Tamang. At the APF ground in Halchowk, a solitary goal from Bishwas Shrestha in the 29th minute was sufficient for Himalayan Sherpa to beat Saraswati Club.
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E-PAPER | March 29, 2024
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