FC Chitwan secures back-to-back wins in NSL

KATHMANDU: FC Chitwan clinched their second consecutive victory in the Nepal Super League (NSL), edging out Butwal Lumbini FC 1-0 on Friday.

The match was decided in injury time, with Toric Zibrin scoring the only goal of the game.

Both teams struggled to showcase their best performances at Dasarath Stadium.

While there were some movements in the midfield, many passes were inaccurate, and both teams’ strikers failed to find the right positions.

Up until the 40th minute, there was a lack of threatening attacks.

In the 41st minute, Butwal’s Eric Bisht nearly gave his team the lead with a powerful free kick from 25 yards, but it struck Chitwan goalkeeper Amal Knight’s hand and hit the crossbar before bouncing back into play, denying Butwal a golden opportunity.

The first half ended in a goalless draw, with that being the only notable chance.

The second half saw both teams eager to break the deadlock. Chitwan squandered an early opportunity when forward Victor Manasare missed an open shot inside the penalty box.

Had he passed to an unmarked Shishir Lekhi, the goal would have been a certain possibility.

In the 54th minute, Butwal goalkeeper Deep Karki denied Chitwan once again with a spectacular save.

Nodir Mavlonov’s powerful shot from 25 yards was expertly saved by Deep, as the ball struck the crossbar and came back into play.

This save was undoubtedly one of the best moments of the ongoing NSL.

Chitwan missed yet another opportunity in the 76th minute when Victor Manasare’s header, following a pass from Yusuf Mallik, was blocked by Butwal’s Suman Shrestha.

After 90 minutes of intense play, the game remained 0-0, pushing the match into 12 minutes of injury time.

In the second minute of injury time, Toric Zibrin sealed the win for Chitwan with a powerful shot from outside the box that found the back of the net.

Despite a late save by Deep from Yusuf Mallik’s attempt, Toric’s goal proved to be the match-winner, giving Chitwan a 1-0 victory.

With two wins in as many games, Chitwan now has 6 points, having previously defeated Pokhara Thunders 2-0.

On the other hand, Butwal has just one point from three matches, having drawn with Jhapa FC and lost 4-1 to Dhangadhi FC.

Today, two more matches are scheduled: Pokhara will face Kathmandu Rangers in the first game, followed by Dhangadhi FC taking on Lalitpur City FC in the second match.