In another match, Anil Gurung made a memorable comeback in the domestic club football as Laxmi Hyundai Manang Marshyangdi Club (MMC) fought back for a 3-1 win over Friends Club.[break]
Following the results, Police climbed at the top of the table with 12 points coming ahead of Jawalakhel Youth Club on the basis of goals superiority. MMC progressed one step ahead for third position. Bansbari remained unchanged in the seventh spot with six points while Friends dropped a step behind to occupy 12th spot.
Police scored all four goals after the interval following a nervy start. Rai who had previously netted four goals against Boudha Football Club also firmly maintained his record as highest scorer with 10 goals in his name. He also became the first player in the ongoing league to score second hat-trick. His teammate Bharat Khawas and MMC striker Santosh Sahukhala jointly share the second spot in top goal scorer list with five goals each.
Rai opened the score for Police through penalty five minutes after the interval. Police was awarded the penalty after Bansbari skipper Dil Bahadur Tamang played foul to Rai in the box.
Unmarked Rai netted his second goal in the 72nd minute when he met an acute pass of Yogesh Shrestha in the box and took his time before beating goalie Lucky Karki and rolling the ball past net. Rai directed the ball towards post from the close range in an open net to complete his hat-trick again in pass of Sherstha.
Bhola Silwal had netted the second goal for Police in the 62nd minute taking advantage of the misunderstanding between goalie Karki and Munna Subba as both of them did not clear the freekick taken by Suraj Bishwakarma in the box.
Dennis Ouko Ochines scored the consolation for Bansbari in the 83rd minute through header. Ochines headed in a freekick of Binod Lama Ghising.
Bansbari coach Hari Om Shrestha attributed the defeat to wrong decision of referee Bikash Mahat. “Referee´s decision of awarding penalty and showing numerous yellow cards was wrong. Had we not conceded the first goal through penalty, the result could have been otherwise,” Shrestha said expressing satisfaction at his side´s performance.
Police coach Birat Krishna Shrestha said defensive performance and lack of mobility of his side was the cause of scoreless first half.
Earlier, former I-League striker Anil Gurung, the new signing of MMC, scored one and set up another for his side´s victory over Friends Club in his debut match.
Gurung set up a pass for unmarked Vijay Gurung in the 19th minute to cancel Friends fifth minute lead. Skipper Ajad Pradhan had put Friends ahead in the fifth minute through a powerful left footed shot.
Sahukhala doubled the advantage in the 23rd minute when his powerful strike from box in his solo effort found the net. Anil Gurung killed the match in the 74 minute when he directed the ball towards net from the short distance after Friends custodian Sagar Gurung failed to grip a feeble shot of Sahukhala.
Meanwhile, Friday´s matches between Brigade Boys Club and United Youth Club and between Nepal Army Club and Ranipokhari Corner Team, have been postponed for Saturday citing technical reasons.
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