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Kathmandu Wednesday January 23, 2002 Magh 10, 2058.
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MPC stand out in battle of
titans
Post Report
KATHMANDU, Jan 22: A solitary goal by Ramesh
Budathoki helped Mahendra Police Club (MPC) clinch title triumph over Manang Marsyangdi
Club (MMC) in the final of Birendra Memorial Invitational football trophy title on
Tuesday.
The final, witnessed by the maximum number of
spectators, was one of the closely contested matches with both the teams producing series
of attacks and counter-attacks.
After a goalless first half, Budathoki gave a
vital lead to MPC in the 78th minute of the match. Budathoki, who scored a goal against
Three Star Club in the quarter-finals and two against Galaxian Club in the semi-finals,
continued his scoring streak to offer the title for MPC.
Budathoki, taking a Hari Khadka pass at the edge
of six yard box, buried a powerful right footer into the opposition net on half volley.
"I am very pleased today," said
ecstatic Budathoki. "In my service of more than three years to MPC, I had never
scored the decider so today’s goal is my best in club football," revealed
Budathoki after the match.
In the first half, besides occasional
opportunities to MPC, MMC remained dominant but failed to beat MPC goalkeeper Sanjeev
Joshi under the bar. As early as in the 1st minute, they had a close look when Deepak Lama
hit a powerful shot which was punched back by MPC goalie.
‘‘We failed to capitalise in the first
half, in second half we showed our actual game," said veteran MPC captain Anil
Adhikari.
Joshi created a havoc in the MMC camp when he
saved a Kumar Thapa shot in the 5th minute. MMC captain Thapa miscued another in the 20th
minute as the ball sailed over the cross bar. Five minutes
later, Joshi inflicted more torture to Thapa when he demonstrated a left side dive to
punch the ball outside.
MPC also demonstrated a couple of brilliant
attacks in the first half. But they missed some convincing chances in the second half.
After storming back in the match in the second
half, they produced some sensational attacks and simultaneously checked the opponents, who
were in search of an equaliser.
MMC goalie Binod Dangol foiled a flurry of MPC
attacks in the second half. In just two minute into the second half. Ananta Thapa’s
header came inches outside the second bar. Likewise, in the 74th minute, Kishore Subba,
who came in the field a few seconds ago, supplied a nice pass to Budathoki who could not
beat Dangol, spoiling a most convincing chance. MPC’s greatest miss came in 81st
minute when Hari Khadka mishit a powerful shot from close range.
"It was a classic competition,"
admired MMC coach Birat Jung Shah. "After Lama (Deepak) brought out due to knee
injury our defense could not remain the same, so they took the advantage," he added.
Shah’s compatriot Yugambar Suwal, also
viewed the match as a fifty-fifty affair. "I am very pleased but our strategies
failed in the first half, anyway boys recovered at time and we got the reward", said
buoyant Suwal.
With the win, MPC bagged Rs100,000 while
runner-up MMC took home Rs50,000. Narayan Prasad Saud Minister of State for Education and
Sports handed over the trophy, cash prizes and certificates to the winners and runners-up.
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