Players of Manang Marshyangdi Club and Three Star Club (right) vie for the ball during their Birat Gold Cup Match in Biratnagar on Thursday. Photo: THT
Biratnagar, April 5
Ruslan Three Star Club advanced to the semi-finals of the Birat Gold Cup Football Tournament here at the Shahid Maidan today.
In a rematch of the Madan Bhandari Gold Cup final in Butwal on Monday, Three Star came from a goal down to defeat Laxmi Hyundai Manang Marshyangdi Club 2-1 in the last quarter-final match. Three Star had defeated MMC by the same scoreline to win their fourth title of the season in Butwal.
In a match between the two ‘A’ division outfits of the Kathmandu valley, Bishal Rai scored for MMC in the first half, while Bimal Gharti Magar and Ajayi Martins netted one each for Three Star. Martins was named the man of the match and he earned Rs 10,000.
Rai opened the scoring and he put MMC ahead in the 19th minute of the match. MMC maintained the lead in the first half but Three Star came back strongly in the latter half and scored two goals in the space of three minutes.
Gharti Magar levelled the scores when he converted the penalty in the 72nd minute. Three Star earned the spot kick after MMC custodian Bishal Shrestha brought down Martins inside the penalty box. Three Star’s foreign recruit Martins netted the winning goal three minutes later.
With the win, Three Star joined CMG Club Sankata, Jhapa-XI and Tribhuvan Army Club in the semi-finals. On Friday, Jhapa will take on TAC for a place in the final, while Three Star face Sankata in the second semi-final match on Saturday.
A version of this article appears in print on April 06, 2018 of The Himalayan Times.