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Kathmandu Saturday February 02, 2002 Magh 20, 2058.
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Tribhuvan Club edge out NRT in
tie-breaker
Post Report
BIRATNAGAR, Feb 1 Tribhuvan Club of Royal Nepal
Army edged past New Road Team (NRT) 4-3 in penalty shoot-out while Eastern Region XI beat
visiting Sikkim XI 2-0 in two different matches of the Nirajan Memorial Invitational
Football tournament played at local Sahid Stadium on Friday.
In what appeared to be one of the most closely
contested battle of the tournament so far, the first match between Tribhuvan Club and NRT
went for tie-breaker after both the teams failed to break the 0-0 dead lock in the
regulation as well as added extra time.
Channu Ram Chaudhary, back in action for the
army team with six months lay off, stopped a Naresh Shrestha spot-kick to book the
quarterfinals berth for his team. However, Chaudhary failed to block shots from Shyam
Mali, Sunder Nepal and Pradip Nepal. Ranjit Singh’s shot deflected form the bar.
From the army side, Mahendra Khawas, Binay
Chaudhary, Shiva Chaudhary and Ayosra Malla converted the chances while NRT goalkeeper
Prakash Vaidya held a shot from Raju Lama.
Earlier, in the 44th minute, Kedar Shrestha
mistimed a spot-kick for the army team, which ultimately took the match into the penalty
shoot-out.
Tribhuvan Club received the chance when NRT
defenders Naresh Shrestha and Pradip Nepal brought down striker Tulsi Chaudhary at the
18-yard area forcing referee JN Singh to point to the spot. Shrestha’s strike sailed
almost five feet above the cross bar.
NRT possessed the ball longer than army team
though they finished as losers. NRT’s chances to find the net were aborted thanks to
the well-knitted army defence. Tribhuvan Club goalie Chaudhary added insult to NRT’s
injury standing as a wall under the bar thwarting NRT’s more than 25 attempts on
goal.
In the day’s second match, Eastern Region
XI surprised Sikkim XI through the strikes from Aman Thapamagar and Gudiya Rai.
Thapamagar gave an early lead to the locals when
he found the net in the 10th minute. The first half ended with 1-0 but five minutes into
the second half Gudiya Rai doubled the score at 2-0, which ultimately remained as the
match’s result. Eastern Region were at total control of the match providing just four
vital chances to the visitors, who failed to come up with score.
Meanwhile, the All Nepal Football Association
(ANFA) banned Three Star Club’s Deepak Limbu for six months as he manhandled referee
Birendra Pandey on Thursday’s match between Three Star Club and RCT.
According to ANFA general secretary Kumar Thapa,
the decision was taken following a joint recommendation of tournament’s organising
committee, referee group and match evaluation committee.
Manang Marsyangdi Club (MMC), by virtue of their
direct entry to the quarterfinals will face off highflying Galaxian Club in the first
quarterfinal clash on Saturday. |
