KATHMANDU, Oct 13: A brace from Afeez Olawale helped title contender Signature Manang Marshyangdi Club (MMC) secure the top spot after the end of the first round of matches with a 3-1 comeback win over Brigade Boys Club in the Martyr’s Memorial A-Division League on Friday.
In the last league match of the first round played at the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) Complex in Satdobato, Lalitpur, Manang recovered from 1-0 down at the break to win the game with two goals. Olawale struck a brace and Heman Gurung registered a goal in the second half.
The game was controlled by Manang, in terms of shots on target, possession and chances created, which went down in the 27th minute as Rajat Tiwari gave Brigade Boys the lead.
Manang struggled in the midfield during the initial part of the game and failed in the final third as well.
Manang got its first chance in the sixth minute after Adelaja Somide headed the ball, but the opposition keeper saved it. The rebound strike from Somide went over the bar.
It got another opportunity two minutes later as Kamal Shrestha passed the ball to Olawale, whose shot from near the box went wide, which was followed by his shot from the byline which was saved by Brigade Boys keeper Sagar Raya in the 15th minute.
It was all Manang as it continued to create chances among which Bishal Rai’s free-kick went just wide in the 20th minute, which was followed by Heman Gurung’s corner headed wide by Sujal Shrestha in the 24th minute.
It was nearly a goal for Manang in the 27th minute as Olawale put a low cross inside the box, but neither Shrestha, nor Somide could connect their shot.
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Brigade Boys scored in its first genuine scoring chance at the 28th minute when Rajat Tiwari fired the ball from 35 yards out beating the goalkeeper Bishal Shrestha into the left top corner to give the losing side a lead.
Manang kept on pushing to get a goal back in the first half as Gurung’s free-kick went over the bar in the 36th minute. It got another opportunity to score as Bhandari put a cross inside the box, Olawale jumped high to head the ball, but was saved by the keeper, and a rebound header from Anjan Bista was saved again by the keeper in the 43rd minute.
Brigade Boys created a good chance when Sishir Lekhi shot the ball from outside the box went wide in the first minute of the five added stoppage time.
Manang kept hunting for goals in added time as well when Pravesh Kunwar crossed the ball to Bista, who headed just over the bar in the third minute of injury time.
Brigade Boys did not concede in the first half as it pressed the Manang defense line hard, which made it difficult for the defenders to find a pass to the goalkeeper and they were forced to get the ball forward.
The second half started with a flyer for Manang as Gurung hit a shot from outside the box in the 47th minute which deflected off Olawale and went into the left bottom corner.
Manang looked very confident after scoring its equalizer and many brilliant chances fell to its way, but it was denied by the superb Raya, who was not easy to get past.
Firstly, a volley effort from Kamal from 35 yards out forced a top hand save from Raya, who pushed the ball away in the 51st minute, followed by Bista’s shot from the edge of the box, after he got a diagonal pass from Sujal, but it was a fingertip save from the goalkeeper in the 57th minute.
Manang looked primed to get its second goal as Kunwar gave a brilliant pass to Olawale, who dribbled past two defenders in his way, shrugging past them with a physical game, and scoring into the right bottom corner out of the reach of the keeper in the 57th minute. Manang’s Gurung hit another shot from near the edge of the box which was heading for the goal, but saved by the keeper in the hour mark.
The keeper hurt his leg after it hit the post and he was replaced by Lakki Karki.
Brigade Boys pushed for its equalizer as Anup Gurung’s shot went wide in the 70th minute after Bista gave away the ball after a misplaced pass to Olawale.
Asomide got himself a chance in the 73rd minute as Bista picked him, as Asomide threaded the ball to Olawale, in a one-two before hitting the ball just wide.
Brigade Boys got another opportunity to score as Tiwari put a brilliant cross, but the header bounced wide in the 76th minute.
Olawale kept on going to add to his tally, even screaming at his teammates for not providing a good pass, most notable to Bista, who struggled with passing. Olawale got a shot from inside the box from a Hemant corner, but it sailed over the bar in the 78th minute, followed by Heman’s cross to Olawale which went over the bar again in the first minute of the seven added time.
Olawale finally got his brace as he shrugged past two defenders on his way, held the ball for a while, seemingly waiting for the other players before taking one more step forward, and scoring into the right bottom corner in the third minute of injury time to give Manang a deserving 3-1 lead.
Manang coach Suman Shrestha said that even though his side won, the performance in the first half was not good and the players did not played as he had planned.
“We could not play as planned. The team formation is not good yet as we have two defenders injured along with an Indian signing. But, I am happy that we won because the three points were exactly what we came for,’’ Shrestha said. “We changed the formation in the second half as the central midfielders could not work the ball well. The tactics of the first half worked in the second, so we scored.’’
Meanwhile, Brigade Boys head coach Urjan Shrestha said that it was a good fight given by the team to a side of Manang’s stature and that the lack of experience was the problem.
“It was a good game against a team like Manang. We suffered bad luck, and because of the lack of experience, we could not hold on to the lead. Had we hold our lead for 10 minutes in the second half, we would have gone far without conceding? The plan was to defend well, and we did that,’’ Shrestha said.
In the first match of the day, the departmental team Armed Police Force (APF) Club and Himalayan Sherpa Club played a 0-0 draw.
