Kathmandu, May 6: Captain Bal Gopal Maharjan helped Rani Pokhari Team make a leap towards the Martyrs Memorial League title with two successive victories while Three Stars remained in the contention after forcing a 2-2 draw against Naxal Yuva Mandal.
Maharjan’s lightening goal towards the fag end not only gave his team the second win from as many games of the league being participated by 12 senior teams of the Kathmandu Valley but also pushed arch rival New Road Team into the shadow for their hunt for the coveted title.
Having played 1-1 draw towards the injury time of the second half, the RCT captain hammered home a close range volley from the right side of the NRT post after collecting a cross from defender Narayan Manadhar. The shot did not give any chance to agile NRT custodian Surendra Shrestha.
However, the NRT team looked solid in the beginning and took the lead just eight minutes of the start of referee’s whistle. Hari Thakuri scored a gem of the goal following his solo act that included the class dribbling past four RCT defenders.
RCT, however, were unlucky not to have scored the equalizer despite making many attacks. In the very second minute, Raj Kumar Shrestha missed an easy chance while in the 35th minute Nirajan Rayamajhi good free kick shot was brilliantly saved by NRT keeper. Milan Shrestha hit a pass from Maharjan direct into the far post in the 37th minute.
RCT, have to wait forty minutes of the first half. Raj Kumar Shrestha gave reply to Hari Thakuri by executing the same movement as Thakuri did for the much-needed equalizer. Raj Kumar took the possession of ball at the 25 yard and dribbled past three NRT defenders to take a powerful shot which too good for the full stretching NRT keeper. The RCT boys dominated second half but could not score despite their strikers Nirajan, Milan, Raj Kumar and Maharjan came very close to scoring.
In the first match of the day, Three Stars Club and Naxal Yuva Mandal played 2-2 draw. Three Stars Club took the lead in the 27th minute through a goal from Surendra Tamang who was supplied a header by captain Deepak Amatya. Tamang , who saw the Naxal Yuva keeper advancing beat him and lobbed the ball past him to gain a lead.
Nevertheless, Naxal boys managed to pull off an equalizer in the 40th minute when Umesh Thapa tapped the ball inside net after beating the wrong-footed Three Stars keeper Manik Shakya.
Naxal team’s Suresh Thapa garnered the lead for the team in the 55th minute after Three Stars keeper failed to control a ball. Thapa capitalizing on the blunder of Shakya struck for the lead.
However, their happiness was all gone in the 80th minute. Free-kick specialist Deepak Amatya sent the ball into the net following a foul caused by Naxal’s Sanjin Pandey just outside the penalty zone.