Dominant Sankata Crush Jhapa FC 6–0 to Storm into Semifinals
Kathmandu’s Sankata Football Club produced a scintillating display of attacking football to thrash Jhapa FC 6–0 in a one-sided encounter of the Jhapa Women’s Gold Cup on Tuesday, booking their spot in the semifinals at the Dudhe Stadium in Shivasatakshi, Jhapa. From the first whistle, Sankata looked sharp, organised, and hungry for goals. Their early aggression repeatedly tested Jhapa’s defence. In the 13th minute, Sukriya Miya tried her luck, but Jhapa’s goalkeeper Sujata Tamang calmly collected the shot. Sujata stayed busy, denying Anisa Rai’s powerful 25-yard free kick in the 15th minute and Samiksha Magar’s long-range effort in the 23rd. But the relentless pressure finally paid off. In the 23rd minute, Senu Pariyar broke the deadlock, finishing expertly from a pinpoint cross by Purnima Rai. Captain Yashoda Shahi came close with a free kick in the 30th minute, but just before halftime, Samikshya Magar doubled Sankata’s lead (45+1’) after a clever assist from Sunita Bhulan, sending the visitors into the break with a commanding 2–0 advantage. The second half was pure domination. Only ten minutes after the restart, Sankata’s Bhutanese import, Chhiring Wangden, found the net with a classy finish off Purnima Rai’s slick backheel assist to make it 3–0. Six minutes later, Purnima turned scorer herself, slotting home from Senu Pariyar’s setup to extend the margin to 4–0.  Jhapa’s defence continued to crumble. In the 83rd minute, Purnima netted her second of the match from Renisa Sharma’s long cross, before substitute Aruna Syangten added the final flourish in the dying moments to seal an emphatic 6–0 victory. Purnima Rai’s all-round brilliance earned her the Player of the Match award, along with a cash prize of Rs. 15,000 and a trophy. After the match, Jhapa’s coach, Sandesh Shrestha, admitted that the team’s lack of preparation was evident in their underwhelming performance. On the other hand, Sankata’s head coach, Rabindra Shilikar, praised his players for executing the game plan perfectly and maintaining composure throughout.
