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| Kathmandu, Monday August 11, 2003 Shrawan 26, 2060. |
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Kathmandu Club hold Boys’
Union
Post Report
KATHMANDU, Aug 10 - Third from bottom Kathmandu
Club and eighth position holders Boys’ Union Club played a lackluster 1-1 draw in the
64th match of the 11-round Martyr’s Memorial ANFA San Miguel National League today at
the Dashrath Stadium.
With the result, both the clubs remain unchanged
at their respective positions. Boys’ Sports will finish at the 10th position if they
beat relegated Naxal on Monday. MMC are the winners and MPC have snatched the second
position so far.
In one of the most boring matches of the league,
both the sides failed to produce lethal attacks despite any scope of risk in the match as
both the teams were safely out of relegation threat.
Kathmandu Club opened the scoring in the 17th
minute through a powerful Shishir KC shot from the 20-yard area. Newcomer Babu Lal
connected a brilliant cross to KC who slammed home the early lead through a spectacular
rightfooter beating Boys’ Union goalie Mohammad Nijamuddin under the bar.
"The journey was adventurous as there was
always a threat of relegation," Kathmandu Club coach and former Nepali international
Mrigendra Misra recalled. While talking to reporters after the match, Misra looked
optimistic at least to walk away with ‘fair play’ award as he insisted that the
team was cautioned only four times in 11 matches. Aided by the service of two American
players, Kathmandu Club started the tournament with a bang defeating Friends’ Club
1-0. Their better performance came at the crunch when they held Three Star Club to put
themselves beyond the threat of relegation.
Misra, a blatant ANFA critic, surprisingly
applauded ANFA for successfully carrying out the match but he showed dissatisfaction over
referee committee for creating several controversies throughout the league.
Boys’ Union brought the match back in the
track in the 33rd minute when Roshan Ranjeet scored a deflected goal from inside the
18-yard area. Ranjeet’s shot hit the left foot of captain Kumar Gurung and deflected
towards the top-left corner of the net giving goalie Ram Dhungana no chance to save it.
Boys’ Union, boasting one of the prolific
strikers of the tournament Sunil Subedi, demonstrated a couple of good marches in the
second half but poor finishing prevented them from the win. Goal scorer Roshan Ranjeet
miscued a great chance in the 70th minute when his shot taken from six-yard area hit the
side bar and went outside the post. Subedi also missed a couple of close calls in the
later part as the match ended 1-1 draw.
"I am very much satisfied with boys who
played heroic football throughout," youngest coach of the league Rajendra KC told The
Kathmandu Post. The Boys’ Union Club coach boastfully said that the club scored
against all the opponents except Sankata Sports Club. "Almost all the boys were
without experience and in this condition claiming at eighth position has made us
proud," he added. "In today’s match scoring problem was the main cause
otherwise we totally controlled a new-look Kathmandu Club," he praised his players. |
