Lalitpur, September 14

Nepal Police Club (NPC) and Laxmi Hyundai Manang Marshyangdi Club (MMC) played a goalless draw in the Red Bull National League that resumed today here at the ANFA Complex.

With the stalemate, MMC climbed to third with 12 points from seven games, while NPC are sixth with seven points from six games. Jhapa Football Club lead the table with 16 points from eight matches. The league was postponed after the devastating earthquake that hit Nepal on April 25.

MMC coach Raju Kaji Shakya said first matches were always difficult and his boys failed to perform as expected. “Our players were in national duty which did not allow us to set the team. The new surface (astro turf) was also a problem for the players,” added Shakya, who brought in veteran defender Nabin Neupane and sent Moussa in the forward line in the dying moments of the match. “We took the risk in search of full three points but that also did not work,” he added.

NPC coach Birat Krishna Shrestha said his first-choice players were injured. “Like previous occasions, most of my players returned to the team with injury from the national duty,” he said. “We were forced to play with inexperienced set of players,” added Shrestha, who missed the services of skipper Jumanu Rai, Rabin Shrestha, Bholanath Silwal and Ritesh Thapa, who were in the national team that played goalless draw with India last month.

“MMC were on the top of the match but we checked them well. We lost three matches in the initial stage of the league and that is hurting us now,” added Shrestha.

Earlier, the depleted NPC faced another blow when the stand-in skipper Suman Subedi was carried off the stretcher in the 28th minute when he suffered a cut on his head after colliding with MMC captain Anil Gurung. Subedi was rushed to the nearby B&B Hospital and the cut needed 15 stitches.

NPC came close to scoring in the 64th minute but Bharat Shah’s shot from 18 yards sailed above the bar in an unattended post after MMC goalie Bishal Shrestha miss-passed the ball to the NPC forward just outside the penalty area. MMC should have scored in the 82nd minute but substitute Subash Gurung struck against the post from six yards. Second-placed Nepal APF Club will take on Ruslan Three Star Club on Tuesday.