Kathmandu, January 10:

Nurudeen Olawale Salau scored a hat-trick as Manang Marsyangdi Club (MMC) registered an emphatic 5-1 win over Bouddha Football Club (BFC), while Nilendra Dewan notched a winner in Sankata Club’s 1-0 win over Jawalakhel Youth Club (JYC) in the Martyrs’ Memorial San Miguel ‘A’ Division League Football Tournament at the Dasharath Stadium today.

Elsewhere at Halchowk ground, New Road Team (NRT) defeated Ranipokhari Corner Team (RCT) 1-0.

Basanta Gauchan and Nabin Thapa also scored for MMC whereas Bishnu KC pulled scored a consolation goal for Bouddha in the first match. Nilendra Dewan scored the match winner for Sankata in the second match and Yugal Kishor Rai found the decider for NRT.

Playing without prolific striker Basanta Thapa — who went to Japan on January 7 — MMC opened their account in the 30th minute through Basanta Gauchan when he found the net following his skipper Kumar Thapa’s attempt deflected off Boudha deefender. Two minutes before break, Nabin Neupane doubled MMC’s lead on Gauchan’s pass.

Salau headed home the third one in the 54th minute after Tashi Tsering’s header rebounded to play off Bouddha goalkeeper Dashrath Adhikaria. Salau found his second goal tapping in from the goalline off skipper Kumar Thapa’s perfect cross from right flank in the 58th.

Four minutes later, MMC’s defender Sagar Thapa’a silly mistake helped Bouddha pull one back. Sagar evened his earlier mistake by providing Salau to complete his hat-trick in the 64th minute.

MMC coach Chhiring Lopsang said that his team played better than they did in the last few games. “We had defeated Bouddha 2-0 in the first leg and the result is definitely a satisfactory one,” Lopsang said. He said that he did not felt the absence of Basanta Thapa in the game, adding that other players have to work hard to fill his void in other matches.

In the second game, Nilendra Dewan scored the lone goal for Sankata in the 83rd minute capitalising on a defensive error. JYC goalkeeper Mohammed Nizamuddin, who was marvelous with his gloves, had been annoying Sankata strikers until then. Nizamuddin had made brilliant saves denying Raj Kumar KC in the 42nd minute and Dewan twice in the 71st and 78th minute.

JYC coach Megh Raj KC said that his team played a good game but a minor defensive mistake let them down. Sankata coach Sunil Tuladhar was happy with the thre points. “As long as the team wins, I don’t care about the margin,” he said. Sankata had rallied to a 1-1 draw against JYC in the first leg.

At Halchowk, Yugal Kishor Rai scored the solitary goal to give NRT three clear points against RCT. Rai scored the decider in the 10th minute following a cross from Sunil Subedi, who dodged as many as two defenders before providing the pass.

Today’s matches

At Dasharath Stadium

• TAC vs BBC @ 12:30pm

• Nabil TSC vs Mahabir @ 2:30pm

At APF Ground, Halchowk

• APF vs Friends @ 12:30pm