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Kathmandu Saturday March 09, 2002 Falgun 25, 2058.
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NRT to take Friends’ Club
in final
Post Report
BUTWAL, March 8 : Prakash Vaidya’s
brilliant work under the bar helped NRT overcome a spirited Pokhara XI in the sudden death
penalty shoot-out as they won by 8-7 here Friday to set up the final meeting with Friends’
Club on Sunday in the Tilottama Gold Cup Football tournament.
The match was extended to sudden death penalty
shoot-out after both the teams were levelled at 4-4 at the end of five regular penalties.
Despite misses from striker Ramesh Sinkaman and Subesh Lama, the Kathmandu-based club
managed to recover through the heroics of Vaidya under the bar to enter the final of the
coveted tournament as three of the Pokhara players spurned their shots. Prem Pun, Drabya
Jung Rana and Ganesh Thapa all failed for Pokhara XI.
NRT, who put out the challenge of mighty Manang
Marshyangdi Club (MMC) in the quarterfinals, found themselves into the final when Ratna
Kaji Maharjan buried his shot into the net.
Earlier, the two teams started aggressively
indulging in entertaining contest only not to find the net. And as the scoreline remained
unchanged at the end of regulation as well as extra time, the match had to be resolved on
penalties.
NRT, who looked much sharper in the midfield,
held better percentage of ball possession in the opening session. However, their attempts
to get closer to the goal were kept at bay by a well-knitted Pokhara defense.
NRT saw three convincing moves in the 20th, 25th
and 38th minutes going without success. And the teams went for the break without any
score.
NRT coach, in his desperate attempt to find a
way out of impasse, fielded popular striker Hari Thakuri in the second half but he was
disappointed as the striker failed to produce any miracle.
In the second half the inspired Pokhara team,
who downed star-studded Mahendra Police Club on the road to the quarterfinals, also
launched some full-blooded attacks. But the success eluded them too as they wasted the
chances that came to their way.
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