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Kathmandu,Wednesday April 19, 2000 Baishakh 07, 2057.
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MMC in semifinals as U-16 go down fighting
By a Post Reporter
KATHMANDU, April 18- Pasang Lhamu Memorial Football tournament finally woke
up here today, in the last quarter-final match played between Nepal’s National
Under-16 squad and Manang Marshyangdi club (MMC).
After both the sides finished at two goals each at the end of the regulation
time and golden goal extra time, the match had to be decided on penalties in which MMC
prevailed 4-1.
And what a match it turned out to be. MMC who were looking like cruising for
victory with barely five or so minutes remaining for the match had to sweat it out in the
dying minutes as Under-16 scored in the 86th minute through Janak Singh and 88th minute
through Jibesh Pandey to push towards an amazing victory.
However, they were denied by one man-Basanta Thapa who with seconds remaining
for the long whistle produced an absolute stunner to get the equaliser and drag the match
into the golden goal extra time. Basanta’s equaliser was the goal of the tournament.
He just had a fraction of a second to flick a shot that flip past the keeper for a superb
goal.
It had to be said that Under-16 squad failed to do anything spectacular until
that late burst in the last quarter that saw them dominating play and score two goals. The
under-16 players failed to strike any sort of cohesion until the entry of Jibesh Pandey
and Krishna Malakar.
It was Basanta Thapa who put MMC into the lead in the very 4th minute of the
match but thenafter MMC failed to consolidate the lead as they were found guilty of
wasting a number of chances. MMC looked like taking the match easy as the Under-16 boys
failed to come up with any threatening moves until the last quarter.
The golden goal extra time was also full of drama as the match could have
gone to either side. Both the sides had their share of chances, MMC in particular who
missed at least two golden opportunities to seal the match.
Under-16 keeper Manik Chamling also did well in the crunch and pressure
situation as he came up with a number of breathtaking saves. In the dying seconds of extra
time he thwarted a move from Kumar Thapa while a few minutes earlier he blocked a powerful
shot of Basanta Thapa who had shot from close range.
However, rival custodian Upendra Man Singh had the last laugh as when it
mattered most in the penalty shootout, he came up with the saves to carry his team to the
semi-final.
In the penalty shootout, Kumar Thapa, Rajan Rayamajhi, Basanta Gauchan,
Upendra Man Singh all scored while Ganesh Limbu shot wide, Jibesh Pandey’s shot was
saved and only Sanchin Rai could score for Under-16.
RCT will take on Sankata in tomorrow’s first
semi-final while today’s winner will take on Friends Club on Thursday in the second
semi-final. |
