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Kathmandu Sunday December 23, 2001 Paush 08, 2058.
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Friends’ Club into
semis
Post Report
DHARAN, Dec 22 – Friends’ Club and
Nepali international goalkeeper Upendra Man Shingh’s tie breaker save helped the club
to post 4-2 win over the local Dharan (Blue) team in the first quarterfinal of the Budha
Subba Gold Cup invitational football tournament on Saturday.
The match went for penalty shoot-out as both
the teams were held at 1-1 draw in the regulation time and the added extra time.
Friends’ Club goalie Singh stopped Agan Thapa’s spot kick to lead his team to
the semifinals. The shots from Raj Kumar Tandukar, Rajan Rayamajhi, Balgopal Maharjan and
Rabin Byanjankar of Friend’s Club were converted into goals while the local teams
frustrated the home crowd with just two goals in the penalty shoot-out.
Earlier, in the 40th minute of the match,
striker Gudiya Rai guided the ball into the opponents’ post taking the pass from
Bikram Rai, the skipper of Dharan (Blue). Rai offered cheers to the home crowd rounding
off Friends’ Club goalie, who tried to charge the striker outside the 18-yard area.
The local team was well placed in the first
half with a 1-0 lead.
The second half brought more depression on
the visitor’s bench as the referee Madhusudan Khanal ruled a marching order to Anil
Subba for a ferocious looking tackle in the 18th minute. But, 10-man Friends’ Club
maintained the pressure and in the 29th minute of the second half they were rewarded with
a strike from Nepali international Nirajan Rayamajhi to level the score at 1-1.
Rayamajhi clearing the ball in the right
wing, buried a powerful right footer to score a much-needed goal for his team in the
crucial time, which saved the international players’ blushes.
Sagar Ghimire was declared ‘man of the
match’ of the first quarterfinal.
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