The 10-man Dhangadhi FC brushed aside their 3-0 loss to Biratnagar FC at the Nepal Super League by thrashing Kathmandu Rayzers 3-0 at the Dasarath Stadium on Tuesday.
Nigerian Afeez Olawale netted a brace and Tanka Basnet scored one goal to open the account for Dhangadhi FC.
Kathmandu were toothless as they failed to take a one-man advantage over Dhangadhi after the interval. Kathmandu remained in fourth place while the win elevated Dhangadhi to the third position with three points in the table. Biratnagar and Butwal Lumbini are sitting in the top two positions in a pecking order.
Dhangadhi FC took the lead in the 19th minute as Basnet’s projectile cross hit the crossbar then touched the hand of goalie Bikesh Kuthu before deflecting inside the post.
Three minutes later Dhangadhi doubled their advantage from Olawale’s goal. Nigerian took the ball in a counter move from the halfway line, dribbled it past the opponent defender Florent Korwa and slammed the ball from six-yard box with his right foot into the second bar of the post.
Afeez again went closer to goal in the 32nd minute from the point-blank range but goalie Kuthu parried it away with his leg.
Dhangadhi captain and goalie Kiran Chemjong, who was idle most of the first half, was kept busy in the injury time. Kathmandu found the goal but was disallowed for an off-side in the first-half injury time.
Kathmandu got the second chance after a minute to score from the free-kick. But Sudil Rai’s feeble free-kick went straight into the gloves of Chemjong in the last minute of injury time.
Goalie Chemjong, right after, threw the ball to the Ashok Khawas on the right side, latter dribbled the ball across the centre and lofted it over inside the area in the left. Darshan Gurung, then, ran to cross it to the six-yard box, from where unmarked Afeez tapped it from his right foot inside the post in the last minute of the injury time.
After the interval, Kathmandu upped their tempo and came up with as many attacks but were unable to penetrate the fort guarded by Chemjong. Kathmandu, even, could not take advantage of 10-man Dhangadhi and their strikers produced many wayward shots.
Dhangadhi were reduced to 10 men after their defender Ramesh Dangal received double yellow cards from referee Kabin Byanjankar in 68th minutes after bringing down Rumesh Bartaula.
Poojan Upreti from Dhangadi was adjudged Emerging Player of the Match while Afeez won the Man of the Match.
Source : THE RISING NEPAL,
