KATHMANDU, Jan 25: Holder Manang Marshyangdi Club went level on points with the top two Tribhuvan Army Club and Machhindra Club with a slender 1-0 victory over struggler Saraswati Youth Club in the ongoing Martyr’s Memorial A-Division League in Kathmandu on Friday. 

In the other match played later on the same day, Chyasal Youth Club registered just its second win of the season inflicting a fourth loss on Brigade Boys Club with an injury time winner from centurion Santosh Shahukhala. 

That was Shahukhala’s 102nd goal in the league and the highest (6) this season, but his team has been struggling as of late as it went six straight matches without a win prior to the Brigade clash. 

In the early kick-off of the day, Bimal Rana scored his fourth goal of the season to give Manang a 1-0 win in the game it struggled in the finishing department despite creating a magnitude of chances against the bottom-placed winless Saraswati. 

Manang struggled to capitalize, in the early part of the first half, only getting few opportunities from free-kicks and blatantly throwing them away with Saraswati defending in narrow blocks with clearances on every missed headers inside its box. 

The defending champion has yet to lose a game this season. Manang got a chance to score in the 15th minute as Rana tried a shot from close range after Saraswati keeper Pradeep dropped the prior shot. He saved the shot again at the near post. 

Dayananda Singh was too ambitious with his shot in the 27th minute, as the shot from outside the box happened to be an easy save for the keeper. 

Barsat Gurung fouled Singh a minute later awarding the contender a free-kick in a promising area. Anjan Bista took the set-piece, and a header from captain Kamal Shrestha was slightly off-target. 

Manang started creating chances near the end of the first half with balanced football as it did not press too high and looked for openings through the flanks. 

Anjan’s elder brother Ranjan missed a glorious chance from inside the box as the shot went off the target to the left hand side and Anjan was left frustrated after he produced a superb pass to Ranjan. 

Anjan was again in the thick of things like he was in the game against Three Star Club when the teams played a 2-2 draw as Anjan scored a brace. 

He had a chance in the 41st minute, but his right-footed shot from outside the box was saved by Saraswati keeper Bhandari again. 

The second half went to a flier for Manang as its constant pressure in the first half was credited with a superb goal just a minute into the second period. After some good counter-attacking plays with overloading wings, it created one chances after another. 

Nishan Limbu produced a superb cross from the right wing to Anjan, whose shot from the far post struck the crossbar. The ball dropped to the path of Rana, who hit a glorious rebound header from the point blank range to give Manang the crucial lead. 

Manang struggled to score in the game and would have been held for an astonishing fifth draw in eight league matches. However, the goal meant Manang remains the only unbeaten side with four wins and four draws. 

Captain Kamal had a chance to double the advantage in the 56th minute, but his shot from a free-kick was brilliantly saved by Bhandari again. 

Rana threw a good chance to score a brace as his right footed shot from inside the box was saved at the near post by Bhandari again in the 66th minute. 

Saraswati finally had a telling chance to equalize in the game, but an 85th minute shot from Ramesh Tamang from outside the box was wide. 

With the result, Manang is third with 16 points, level with both Army and Machhindra. Army has a game in hand, while both the teams have superior goal difference than Manang. Likewise,

Saraswati still languishes in the bottom with a draw and seven losses accumulating just a point so far. 
In the second game, Shahukhala scored in the second minute of the injury time to give Chyasal a 1-0 win over Brigade, finally climbing up the table after a disastrous winless spell. 

Shahukhala converted a pass from Taiga Nakamura to win the match. 

Chyasal dominated the match completely with the possession of the ball, the shots on target and totally closed down Brigade as the losing side could only take one on target. 

But, the team looks heavily dependent on Shahukhala’s goals as he has bagged six out of the total seven Chyasal has scored so far. He has had positive impact on the team’s results as his goals have won both the matches and prevented losses against Nepal Police Club and Machhindra Club. He scored braces in a 2-0 win over Sankata Club and a 2-2 draw against Nepal Police Club. He scored a goal each against Machhindra and Brigade to give his team the positive results. 

With the result, Chyasal is now eighth with nine points consisting of two wins, three draws and two losses. Likewise, Brigade is 10th and has eight points including two wins, two draws and four losses. 

 
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