Nepal National champion Laxmi Bank Three Star Club registered a convincing 2-1 win over visiting I -League side McDowell´s Mohun Bagan in a friendly at the Dasharath Stadium, Kathmandu on Wednesday ahead of the qualifying rounds of the AFC President´s Cup .
Three Star scored both the goals in the second half with Jagjeet Shrestha, who looked superb throughout the match, and African player Adewumi Femi achieving the target for the home team. Mohun Bagan´s early second-half substitute Dipendu Biswas scored a consolation goal during the dying moments.
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"I have taken this match as a chance for individual analysis of players," said Pradip Humagain, one of the two coaches of Three Star that will be representing Nepal in the AFC President´s Cup beginning in Kathmandu on Tuesday. Three Star scored both the goals in the second half with Jagjeet Shrestha, who looked superb throughout the match, and African player Adewumi Femi achieving the target for the home team. Mohun Bagan´s early second-half substitute Dipendu Biswas scored a consolation goal during the dying moments.
"Rather than winning or losing I was focused of analyzing the weaknesses and strengths of the team," said Humagain after the match that was completely dominated by his side. "We should not be very excited with the win and the opponent turned out to be weaker than I had expected."
Three Star had included five new signings of the new season for the friendly -- former Friends players Prakash Budhathoki, Dodoz Leonce and scorer Shrestha; Sabindra Shrestha from MMC and Saroj Dahal from Madhyapur. Some key players -- Biraj Maharjan, Santosh Sahukhala and Bijay Gurung -- who had guided Three Star to the league title, were absent due to injuries. Nirajan Khadka, another signing from Friends, was also out of action due to injury.
Coach Humagain said he was relieved to see that the new signings have adjusted to the team. "The new players were well-set as Budhathoki, Leonce and Shrestha are from the same team," said Humagain, adding that the forward pair of Femi and Leonce was also sound.
Three Star intensified its attacks from the beginning and made the first attempt on goal in the fifth minute but Shrestha´s strike from the danger zone in Budhathoki´s pass hit the woodwork. Two minutes later, Shrestha´s corner took a deflection off Femi´s chest and was cleared by a Mohun Bagan defender on the goalline.
In the 23rd, Mohun Bagan´s custodian Arindam Bhattacharya made a diving save to prevent Leonce´s quick strike from the edge in Femi´s pass. The visitors´ first chance came in the 37th minute but Tolgay Ozbey´s 20-yard freekick sailed inches above the bar.
Coach Humagain said he was relieved to see that the new signings have adjusted to the team. "The new players were well-set as Budhathoki, Leonce and Shrestha are from the same team," said Humagain, adding that the forward pair of Femi and Leonce was also sound.
Three Star intensified its attacks from the beginning and made the first attempt on goal in the fifth minute but Shrestha´s strike from the danger zone in Budhathoki´s pass hit the woodwork. Two minutes later, Shrestha´s corner took a deflection off Femi´s chest and was cleared by a Mohun Bagan defender on the goalline.
In the 23rd, Mohun Bagan´s custodian Arindam Bhattacharya made a diving save to prevent Leonce´s quick strike from the edge in Femi´s pass. The visitors´ first chance came in the 37th minute but Tolgay Ozbey´s 20-yard freekick sailed inches above the bar.
Bikram Lama´s diving header for Three Star in Shrestha´s corner found the side netting in the 53rd minute. But Shrestha finally broke the deadlock two minutes later with a powerful header in a perfect cross from Budhathoki.
Shrestha nearly doubled the tally in the 65th minute but custodian Bhattacharya brilliantly punched the ball to safety from the top left. Femi doubled the advantage for Three Star in a counter-attack in the 68th with a clinical finish from close range.
Mohun Bagan could make only a couple of attempts on goal after the interval with Lalrin Fela firing above the bar. Dipendu Biswas, who replaced Tolgay Ozbey in the 55th minute after the latter got injured, scored the only goal for Mohun Bagan in the third minute of four-minute stoppage time.
Shrestha nearly doubled the tally in the 65th minute but custodian Bhattacharya brilliantly punched the ball to safety from the top left. Femi doubled the advantage for Three Star in a counter-attack in the 68th with a clinical finish from close range.
Mohun Bagan could make only a couple of attempts on goal after the interval with Lalrin Fela firing above the bar. Dipendu Biswas, who replaced Tolgay Ozbey in the 55th minute after the latter got injured, scored the only goal for Mohun Bagan in the third minute of four-minute stoppage time.
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