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Kathmandu Tuesday March 05, 2002 Falgun 21, 2058.
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MPC tame MMC again to lift
Caravan Cup
Post Report
POKHARA, March 4 : A double-strike from
country’s number one marksman Hari Khadka led Mahendra Police Club (MPC) to a 2-1 win
over Manang Marshyangdi Club (MMC) here Monday to lift the Caravan Gold Cup. This is the
third failure that MMC have suffered in the title match against the police outfit in two
months.
After two consecutive final losses in Birendra
Memorial Football tournament and King’s Cup, this tournament lent MMC a golden
opportunity to settle the score with their old nemesis. But despite dominating most of the
match and creating more chances they were badly let down by poor finishing in either
session.
On the other hand, MPC, who have good insight of
their rivals played a waiting game and emerged out as winners at the end of the day.
The police outfit, after being pounded on by
MMC’s relentless raids early on, put the pressure back on their rivals as the game
wore on. And they were instantly ripped rich reward in the 14th minute when Khadka opened
up scoring to put MPC 1-0.
MPC defenders Rakesh Shrestha, skipper Anil
Adhikari, who so successfully shielded their goal from the opposition strikers for most of
the opening session, let one through that saw MMC level at 1-1 at the stroke of half time.
Rajan Rayamajhi, after collecting a long pass
from Chandra Gurung, fired a low shot beyond the stretching hands of MPC custodian Sanjeev
Joshi. That would later bring some consolation to MMC as he was adjudged man of the match.
Much was expected of the two teams after their
exciting semifinals where MMC quelled the challenge of Eastern Railways and MPC sweated it
out to win on toss against Sahara Blue after being involved in what could be termed by the
most enthralling encounter.
But the local crowd, who poured on to the
stadium with hopes of another interesting match, were left disappointed as the final
failed to produce enough sparks.
While MMC’s misery continued well into the
second half, MPC added insult to their injury nine minutes into the session. Khadka, after
being put clear with a through pass, outran the MMC defenders to be at one-to-one
with the keeper Binod Dangol.
Dangol, spotting his defenders deep in the
middle, in his desperate measure to avert the danger left his territory. He did block the
first attempt from Khadka but his weak block only landed the ball back to the MPC striker,
who made no mistake this time to send home the winner.
They had a glorious chance to comeback into the
match in the 62nd minute but Anil Subba, who charged on to the MPC territory from the
deep, was fractionally wide with his shot. The luck continually deserted MMC, who
otherwise had created as many as a dozen chances throughout the match, several of them
close ones. And MPC defended the 2-1 score to take away the Cup and winners cheque of Rs.
50,000, relinquishing MMC to Rs. 25,000.
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