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Kathmandu Monday January 14, 2002 Magh 01, 2058.
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Galaxian, Three Star advance
Post Report
KATHMANDU, Jan 13 :Rajiv Nepali struck hat-trick to guide Three Star Club to
a comfortable 5-1 victory against Sankata Boys’ Sports Club while Galaxian Club
thumped visiting Tarun Club Darjeeling 5-0 in the Birendra Memorial Invitational football
tournament on Sunday.
Studded with bulk of the Dharan ‘A’ players, Three Star went on the
attack right from the beginning but had to wait until 41st minute to get the reward. Three
Star veteran Deepak Amatya connected a brilliant header taking a left wing cross off
Deepak Limbu into his stride to go 1-0 up.
In quest of equaliser Sankata left gaping holes in the defence. Three Star
used the opportunity to the optimum scoring four goals in the second half . Sankata did
not realise their past mistake, when Nepali connected Amatya-like header from the cross
off Limbu again.
Sankata pulled things back when Salyan Khadgi dribbled past three players
just outside the edge of 18-yard area and unleashed a powerful right footer that hit the
second bar before touching the net.
In the 37th minute, Nepali scored his second goal of the day through a
brilliant 25-yarder that beat Sankata’s goalie Ashok Bajracharya to go for 3-1.
Nepali completed his hat-trick in the last minute of the match when a Dipendra Poudel pass
at the centre of the 18-yard found him. He coolly dodged the goalie and pushed the ball
inside the net to confirm a comprehensive victory.
Nepali’s hat-trick is the tournament’s third. Nirajan Rayamajhi and
Sahila Maharjan have already scored hat-trick on Saturday.
Sankata’s Binod Lama committed a suicide goal while trying to stop Three
Star captain Amatya’s shot in the second minute of the injury time to add insult to
injury ensuring a 5-1 debacle.
In another match, Galaxian sealed a surprise 5-0 win over visiting Tarun
Football Club of Darjeeling, India. Galaxian’s Ritesh Khadka scored tournament’s
fastest goal in-between 40th -50th second into the match. Khadka, getting advantage of
Darjeeling defence confusion notched a 1-0 lead to place his team at the driving seat.
The performance of the day came in the 28th minute, when Khadka doubled his
individual and team score at 2-0. Before burying a powerful right footer, Khadka dribbled
past three of the opponents’ players and the goalie Rajiv Lakhandri twice.
Surendra Tamang was given the chance to take the spot-kick when Lakhandri
committed a ferocious tackle over Ganesh Limbu inside the box in the 35th minute.
Lakhandri remained as a mere spectator as Tamang hit an easy ground ball to the left.
In 56th minute, Pravesh Katuwal scored to extend the lead to 4-0 and in the
89th, Kamal Basnet scored the day’s final to win the match by 5-0.
Royal Nepal Army’s Trivhuban Club will meet Friends’ Club while
Sikkim-11 will face New Road Team (NRT) on Monday to complete quarterfinal lineup.
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