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MMC down high-flying Youth
KATHMANDU, DEC 08 - Manang Marshyangdi Club (MMC) hammered Nepal Youth Team 5-0 to enter the semifinals of the Martyr’s Memorial ANFA San Miguel Invitational Football Tournament played at the Dashrath Stadium today.
With the win, MMC have topped the Group A recording three wins in as many outings.
In a grudge match between the present and the future of Nepali football, the present lot reminded the pretenders that there is still a lot of catching-up for the youths to do.
The youth team, to their credit, warded off the threat of the mighty MMC for 65 minutes before the floodgates opened. Basanta Thapa got a brace while Anil Subba, Rajan Rayamajhi and Kumar Thapa helped themselves to a goal each to deflate the high spirit of the youths who had returned from a successful campaign in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
The early departure of creative skipper Prashanta Giri didn’t help the cause of the youths either. Giri left the field for hospital after bearing the brunt of MMC goalie Kailash Dangol’s tackle in the third minute of the match.
"The early departure of skipper sagged the moral of the boys," said Ashok KC, the coach of the youth team, talking to The Kathmandu Post.
The boys were physically drained after the Dhaka tour and couldn’t recover to compete with the physically tough MMC players," he added.
MMC thoroughly dominated the match from the outset and created many chances in the first half. The youths, on the other hand, showed flashes of their brilliance in the midfield but their dazzling play couldn’t make headway in the MMC’s territory.
Basanta Thapa came close to opening MMC’s score in the 17th minute but his chip shot hit the upper beam of the post. The woodwork again came to the youth’s rescue as Basanta Thapa’s header found the side bar in the 40th minute. Goalie Bikash Malla made a couple of acrobatic stops to ensure clean sheet for the youths going into the half-time break.
The youths continued to play defensive football in the second half and tiredness started to hold them back as they conceded four goals in the space of ten minutes.
Basanta Thapa finally managed to evade the woodwork and opened the scoring in the 65th minute. Gouchan supplied a cross from the left side of the post and Rayamajhi headed it towards the post with Thapa needing only a touch to guide it into the net.
Thapa scored a stunning goal five minutes later to make it 2-0. Kumar Thapa fed him in front of the D-box and Thapa connected a powerful shot that went inside the post with youth goalie Malla left a mere spectator.
Anil Subba got his name in the score-book in the 72nd minute heading a corner kick shot by Rajesh Shahi from the left corner of the post. Rayamajhi dodged the defense to net the fourth goal for MMC in the 75th minute.
Kumar Thapa hit the final nail on the youth team’s coffin in the 83rd minute of the match.
Earlier, Three Star Club defeated Food Corporation of India (FCI) 2-0 in an ill-tempered match of the same group. Ranipokhari Corner Team recruit Madhu Karki fired the first goal on his trademark freekick in the 27th minute. Surendra Tamang beat FCI’s off-side trap to head the second goal in the 77th minute of the match.
Nagendra Limbu and Janak Singh of Three Star were cautioned by the referee. Tapan Das of FCI was given marching orders in the 83rd minute after receiving his second yellow card.
Today’s matches
MPC vs Eveready (1st match)
Youth Team vs FCI (2nd match)Posted on: 2003-12-09 03:54
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