Kathmandu, September 13:

Jibesh Pandey and Mani Pandit scored a hat-trick each as Armed Police Force thumped Mahabir Club 8-0 and Tribhuvan Army Club survived a Bouddha Football Club scare before winning 2-1 in the Martyrs’ Memorial San Miguel ‘A’ Division League Football Tournament here today. The Armymen continued their impressive run of five wins in five matches and climbed to top at the league standings with 15 points. Manang Marsyangdi Club, who have played four matches, have 12 points, while APF accumulated 10 points, equalling Mahendra Police Club. The loss was fifth in a row for Mahabir, while Bouddha have one point they snatched from MPC.

Striker Ram Kumar Biswas put the Armymen ahead in the sixth minute when he scored from close range following Shiva Chaudhary’s pass inside the penalty box. Bouddha players hit back in the 37th minute through Pradeep Kunwar, who found the net from 10 yards on Bishnu KC’s pass. The goal ended Bouddha’s 315-minute goal drought in the ‘A’ division since getting promotion last year. They had scored a goal in the Birthday Cup in June and Kunwar was the scorer at that time too. Biswo Bairag Samal snatched the eventual winner in the second minute of the first-half injury time when he capitalised on defensive error before beating past Bouddha FC goalkeeper Dasharath Adhikari from close range.

Earlier, Mani Pandit scored this season’s seventh and Jibesh Pandey netted eighth hat-trick in APF’s thumping victory. Skipper Pandey and Pandit tore through Mahabir defence and registered their third victory in four matches. Pandey put APF ahead in the sixth minute on Pandit’s pass, while Chandra Rana doubled the tally in his solo effort in the 20th. Pandit made it 3-0 in the 29th minute. Jibesh scored his second goal in the 69th minute following Ganesh Lawati’s corner, while Pandit made it 5-0 three minutes later scoring his second goal on Milan Rai’s pass. Lawati scored APF’s sixth goal in the 78th minute following a pass from Sandeep Shrestha. Pandit completed his hat-trick in the 81st minute when he fired the ball home from close range leaving Mahabir second-choice custodian Saroj Shrestha stranded. In the 85th minute, Jibesh Pandey completed his hat-trick following a pass from Pandit.