By a Staff Reporter
Kathmandu – Debutant Church Boys United Football Club topped the Martyr’s Memorial ‘A’ Division League 2023 table after defeating New Road Team – NRT 4-1 at Chyasal Stadium on Saturday.
Anjan Bista scored a hattrick and Sushil Shah netted a goal in Church Boys’ victory while Dipesh Ale Magar replied one for NRT.
Sushil Shah opened the scoring for Church Boys in the 39th minute with a close range header from Kamal Shrestha’s corner.
Church Boys went into the break with a 1-0 lead added three more goals to their tally in the second half with their star forward Anjan Bista scoring a hat-trick.
Anjan Bista scored his first goal of the match in the 53rd minute, heading the ball home from Kamal Shrestha’s corner.
Seven minutes later, Aasish Chaudhary found the back of the net, but his goal was ruled offside by the Assistant Referee, Prabin Gautam.
Anjan Bista got his brace in the 61st minute the match. Beating offside trap, Anjan received Sushil’s through pass, dribbled past NRT’s goalkeeper Santosh Mahat and calmly fired the ball into back of the net.
Joseph Bempah could have extended Church Boy’s lead in the 67th minute, but he was too slow to convert on one vs one situation. NRT’s defender Sanam Limbu blocked his shot before it reached to their custodian Santosh and sent it for a corner.
Anjan Bista completed his hat-trick in the 85th minute converting a penalty. NRT’s skipper Bikram Dhimal gifted Church Boys with a penalty when he handlled the ball in the box while trying to block Gagandeep Singh’s cross.
Dipesh Ale Magar of NRT pulled one back for his team in the third minute of stoppage time after Church Boys’ brought in their second-choice keeper Abishek Chaudhary after they had secured a comfortable 4-goal lead.
The win took Church Boys to the top of the table, with 27 points from 15 matches, while NRT remained in 10th place.
Anjan Bista’s hat-trick was the highlight of the match as he became the first Nepali Player to do so in the ongoing league. Nigerian Afeez Oladipo Olawale and Cameroonian Messouke Olomou had scored hattrick previously.
