Kathmandu, Mar 12:Friends Club of Kupondole (FC)  sealed their spot in the semis with 5-1 win over Ranipokari  Corner Team (RCT), while Tribhuvan Club (TC) made amends for their narrow loss earlier, when they beat Sunsari 4-0 in the ongoing Khukari Gold Cup soccer championship at the National Dasharath Stadium, Sunday.

Armymen win: TC, beaten 2-1 by Friends’ Club few days back, surged into the attack from the start against  lowly fancied Sunsari and took a 8th minute lead through Saila Maharjan from rebounded ball of keeper Ritesh Thapa.

Today’s win have given a big break for the TC outfit to remain in  for a title hunt in the Championship. Despite of making raids in the first-half, TC boys could only mange to  take  a slim lead in the first-half. Exhibiting more rejuvenated play and thanks to Saila Maharjan outstanding performance TC added three more goals   after the lemon break to  throw away Sunasri boys out from the title aspiration.

Sunsari boys inept shooting and ill directed passes stood on their way of scoring goal. Sachin Rai and Surendra Tamang  came close to the striking zone but failed to capitalize in given opportunities.

From the beginning of the game, TC dominated   Sunsari with slick technique throughout the game. Beaten in the first game on last Thursday, Sunasri boys did throw a better game today. But due  to the lack of cohesion among the strikers and poor supports from the midfielders, they failed to venture deep in the rival’s post.

However, TC Club   looking for a desperate win to remain for the title hunt from the onset of the game made series of attacks into the rival’s post , pushing the Sunasri boys defence to stand on their toes with Saila creating a havoc  in the front.

Though the Sunsari boys also went all out to level the score but  quality of the shooting did not match the slick technique   applied by the  TC outfit. However, the Sunsari defence also had the good day in the first half . The Sunsari defence line stood on firm by thwarting away  the pressure made by TC strikers.

After the lemon break, TC consolidated the lead in the 20th minute though  Lal Bahdur Lama and again added the third goal in the 36th Minute through Suk Bahadur Gurung with the help Saila. With the game going out of their control, Sunsari desperately tried hard to curtail the lead but their efforts went all out in vain. In the dying minutes, Adarsha Mall sealed the faith of the Sunsari boys in the dying minutes.

Friends win: In the day’s second game, Friends’ Club boys proved to be too good for RCT. In the initial stays both the teams applied pressure in both of the goalpost. The ball moved  one  corner to  another. RCT boys were the first to make close look  in the goalpost. Madhu Karki, the captain nearly pulled a surprise lead in the 4th minute but his free-kick shot fired from just outside the area was timely punched by keeper, Lalit Chand denying them the much needed lead.

After getting early scare by the RCT boys, FC went all out for opening the score. Taking the game well under their control, Bill Tamang took the team ahead in the 13th minute though a pass from a diminutive Shushil KC. Shushil KC   himself put his team on the safe side in the 18th minute through a cross from Tamang.

With two goals  lead, FC club once again   carried out aggressive moves by launching  moves from all side of the ground. Rabin, Bill and Sukara Tamang combined well in the front while diminutive Shushil marshelled the moves from the middle. Even the defence stood firm on keeping the RCT boys attacks on bay.

After the second half, RCT boys were under the pressure as they  made more threatening moves, pushing the defence on the wall. In the 3rd minute, Bill Tamang  snatched the  from the defender on top of the box and unleashed the ball from a little over twenty-yards giving no chance for the keeper Mirgendra Mishra.

Riding high on the solid start, FC continued to dominate the proceedings. Though RCT boys did tried  hard to curtail the lead but all efforts went in vain due poor game plan. Again the in  the  14th minute Sushil KC cross from the left was well taped by Sujeet KC in the middle to hammer home.

Caught  by poor defence and lack of game plan, the RCT boys were seen trying to run for the ball rather than giving the Friends’ boys a lesson.  Despite of having good numbers of strikers in the front like Nirajan, Dilli Shrestha and  Aitea the RCT boys couldn’t keep up in the same rhythm as they shown earlier in the game. Poor  buildups and lack of confidence among the players ruled the day for them.

Though in the  in  26th minute   Nirajan gave RCT a consolation  while in the  dying minutes, substitute Fathe Thapa  wrapped the task for Friends’ club.