Lalitpur, October 12

Tribhuvan Army Club (TAC) thrashed Jagadamba Lumbini FC 5-0 to climb to the top of the Red Bull National League table here at the ANFA complex grounds today.

TAC accumulated 30 points from 15 matches and will play their last match against Nepal Police Club on October 16. The Armymen replaced Ruslan Three Star Club at the summit for at least 24 hours. Three Star are at the second position with 29 points, will play against Nepal APF Club on Monday.

Laxmi Hyundai Manang Marshyangdi Club are third with 28 points. Both Three Star and MMC have two matches in hand. Lumbini collected eight points and finished eighth, ahead of Morang FC, in the nine-team table.

Skipper Bharat Khawas provided an early lead to TAC in the fourth minute when he slammed home from close following a pass from Nawayug Shrestha. Lumbini striker Biswas Shrestha squandered two chances to level the scores in the first half. Shrestha faltered in one-on-one situation with TAC goalkeeper Bikesh Kuthu in the 10th minute, while he managed to beat as many as four defenders and custodian Kunthu before he fell on the pitch.

TAC were charged up in the second half and scored four goals. Tanka Basnet doubled the tally in the 63rd minute when he received the ball from Deep Lama and scored an easy goal from six-yard box.

Nawayoug Shrestha then added two goals in the space of three minutes and became the highest scorer of the league with 13 goals. Shrestha found the back of the nets in the 75th minute after rounding up as many as two defenders, while he scored his second and team’s fourth goal in the 78th minute following a pass from Deep Lama. Tanka Basnet completed the rout with his second goal in the in the 83rd minute utilising a pass from Khawas.

TAC coach Meghraj KC said the win was the result of hard work of the team members. “We have been playing football for the last 14 months in different tournaments. The boys have been playing as per the team plan which is the secret behind the club’s success this season,” KC added.

“And the fitness of the players have also played an important role in our run as all the team members are capable of playing in the same pace throughout the match and dominate the opponents,” he added.

Lumbini coach Yam Gurung was not happy to end the league with a loss. “As a coach, I failed in our league campaign and this result was not expected,” he said. “We had a good team at the start of the league but we failed to address the issues of the players due to poor management,” he said. “The players also lacked coordination among them in the field,” he added.