Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Thimphu: K-Electric advanced to the 2016 AFC Cup Play-offs after Group A hosts Druk United and Khoromkhon played out a goalless draw at the Changlimithang Stadium on Saturday, as the Pakistan champions finished top of the three-team table with four points following their 3-3 draw with Druk United and 1-0 win over the Mongolians earlier in the campaign.
Needing nothing less than a victory, the home side started Saturday’s with purpose and launched a series of brisk, if unproductive, forays into opposition territory but it was the visitors who had the first clear crack at goal in the 8th minute.
Usbold Altanzul intercepted a sloppy Druk United pass and fed the ball to Ulsbold Byambadorj, whose buccaneering run culminated with the Khoromkhon midfielder passing to Naranbold Nyam-Osor only for his shot to be pushed aside by Druk keeper Tshering Dendup for a corner.
The Druk United skipper’s counterpart Uros Poljanec comfortably saved Karma Shedrup Tshering’s long-range free-kick a minute later before a well-timed intervention from Turbat Daginaa blocked Tshering Wangdi’s 17th minute attempt although the Druk United forward may have had more joy had he not hesitated and pulled the trigger when he had more time and space.
Tshering Wangdi’s header with two minutes of the first-half remaining was comfortably held by Slovenian stopper Poljanec before Byambadorj hit the side-netting at the other end immediately after.
Druk United finished the first-half strongly with Poljanec saving well as Tshering Dorji hit the target from distance following a cleared corner and again when Karma Shedrup Tshering cleverly tried to beat him at his near post as the game entered three minutes of stoppage time added due to an accidental collision between the Druk United keeper and Byambadorj on the half-hour-mark.
The first chance of a frenetic second-half fell to Khoromkhon with Emmanuel Mbia Ekobena’s powerful long-range drive five minutes after the restart superbly saved by Tshering Dendup before Druk United’s first effort of note came 15 minutes after the Cameroon forward’s strike when a quickly-taken short corner between Biren Basnet and Dorji resulted in the former firing a shot just wide of Poljanec’s left-hand post.
Neither side was able to take break the deadlock in the remainder of the second half or the five minutes of additional time much to the relief of K-Electric, who will be joined in the 2016 AFC Cup Play-offs by LT. Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club after the Bangladesh champions picked up the point they needed with a 1-1 draw with Group B hosts FC Alga.
Photo: WSG