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| Kathmandu, Friday June 06, 2003 Jestha 23, 2060. |
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RCT struggle for win over Boys
Sports Club
Post Report
KATHMANDU, June 5 : Suk Bahadur Tamang’s
solitary goal steered three times National League champions Rani Pokhari Corner Team (RCT)
to a 1-0 win over Boys Sports Club (BSC) on Thursday.
In the ANFA Sanmiguel National League held at
the Dashrath Stadium, Tamang broke the ice in the 73rd minute to ensure three points for
RCT. Rajkumar Shrestha created the goal supplying a beautiful cross from the left to
unmarked Tamang who rammed home the decisive blow to start their league campaign with a
deserving win.
Though RCT walked away with all three points in
the match, they were given a good run for their money by stubborn BSC defence and
goalkeeper Rajiv Shrestha. BSC included half of the ANFA Academy players after the club
hired them for a year in Rs 300,000. Most of the players were not the regular starter for
ANFA Academy.
"There was no training at all," said
BSC coach Manoj Maharjan. "We got just two-days for the training so misunderstanding
was evident at the field," he added. He also declared that the team would play a lot
better in their next match of the league after nine days. Maharjan also admired his young
goalkeeper Rajiv Shrestha for demonstrating string of saves in the match.
RCT produced the first real threat as early as
in the 9th minute when Harihar Thapa missed a header after goal scorer Gurung supplied him
from the right. Ramesh Gyawali’s header off a cross from Gurung, in the 29th minute,
missed the crossbar by a whisker.
The story of the match would have been different
had powerful rightfooter from BSC’s Deepak Khawas found the net in the 44th minute.
BSC’s Birat Thapa tried a volley but failed to time it perfectly as RCT rookie goalie
Dilip Chettri demonstrated an easy save in the first half injury time. The match was
balanced at 0-0 in the first half.
RCT created strings of chances in the second
half but their poor co-ordination at the front forced them to wait for 28 minutes into the
second half.
"I am not happy at all with our performance
today," RCT coach Baiju Kapali told The Kathmandu Post after the match.
"Squandering chances against a team like Boys Sports is a bit scary," Kapali
added. Kapali not only fumed over his players but also accused the club for not managing
proper training ground for the league. "We are practising at the local Tundikhel and
all know the problem of Tundikhel where exhibitions and fairs hamper our training,"
he lamented.
Harihar Thapa, who missed many chances on
Thursday, connected a powerful shot only to see Shrestha block it in the 61st minute of
the match. Two minutes later the ball ultimately kissed the net when Rajkumar Shrestha
headed a cross set by veteran Gyawali but referee Shreeram Ranjeetkar ruled it offside.
RCT were a bit unlucky after Shrestha’s
powerful shot from the edge of the 18-yard area hit the cross bar and went outside the
field in the 65th minute. But Gurung ultimately confirmed victory for RCT firing home the
decisive blow in the 73rd minute to start their league campaign on a bright note. RCT had
entered the semifinals of the recently concluded Khukuri Cup Football tournament.
Today’s match
MMC vs Boys Union (4:00PM)
Other Story
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