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Kathmandu Tuesday January 22, 2002 Magh 09, 2058.
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Friends’ Club beat
Galaxian for 3rd place
Post Report
KATHMANDU, Jan 21: Friends’ Club came from
behind to claim the third position of the Birendra Memorial Invitational football
tournament defeating Galaxian Club 3-1 on Monday.
The match however participated by least numbers
of crowd, remained evenly balanced. Galaxians’ youngsters put on tremendous pressure
over Friends Club but Nirajan Rayamajhi’s scored in the 85th minute taking the match
away from Galaxian grip.
The promising Galaxian opened their account in
the 16th minute of the match to go for 1-0. Friends’ Club goalkeeper and Nepali
international Upendra Man Singh failed to read a Bikash Subba leftfooter, which sailed
into the net, creating a huge cheer among Galaxian fans.
But the lead remained transitory as Kailash
Dangol leveled the score at 1-1 within just two minutes. Dangol, after receiving a
well-measured cross off Robin Byanjankar at right flank, unleashed a powerful right footer
to home a well deserve tie to Friends’ Club.
Both the team were in search of lead but
remained bare handed till the half time. The match was evenly poised in the half time with
1-1.
Galaxian troop accelerated their attacks after
the break but left loopholes in their territory. And using the opportunity maximum,
Nirajan Rayamajhi add one more to his total tally of seven. Rayamajhi, through a classic
rightfooter in the 85th minute, left agile goalie Ritesh Thapa at his toe as the ball went
inside the net leaving Thapa as a mere spectator.
Rayamajhi is still the leader in the top-scoring
list with eight goals to his name. And his close contestant Hari Khadka and Rajan
Rayamajhi, who have still a match to play, each scored four goals in two matches. This
means, Rayamajhi is virtually the topscorer of the tournament.
The match’s hero was undoubtedly Friends
Club keeper Singh, who stopped a couple of breath-taking shots under the bar. In the 17th
minute in to the second half, diving Singh punched back Bikash Subba’s mighty fire to
prevent the causality. Likewise, he also demonstrated a superb left side dive to gather a
Ritesh Khadka beautiful placement in the 70th minute.
In the 88th minute, Ganesh Lawati, who
substituted Kailash Dangol in the 72nd minute found the net to seal a cruising 3-1 third
place play-off victory. Lawati just pushed the ball inside the net when keeper Thapa
failed to collect Rayamajhi’s attempt cleanly.
In the girls’ football match staged prior
to the play-off match at the Dashrath Stadium, Bansbari Football Club demolished Bhaktapur
Football Team 4-0.
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