Kathmandu: Winless Jhapa FC’s quest for victory continued after the fourth match as they played a 1-1 draw against Pokhara Thunders in the Nepal Super League, a franchise football tournament, at the Dasharath Stadium, Tripueshwar, on Saturday. 

Arsic Lazar scored an equaliser for Jhapa to cancel out Cameroonian forward Stephane Binong’s early second half lead. 

The fourth draw of the campaign from as many games left Jhapa unchanged in sixth place. Pokhara, with only the last match to play before the league round wraps up, are fourth in the seven-team standings with five points. Only the top four teams make it to the playoffs. Dhangadhi FC and Lalitpur City FC occupy top two positions with eight points each after equal four games. 

Pokhara dominated the show in the first half with some early scoring chances. Sudil Rai came closer to scoring as early in the 13th minute when he found Binong’s header before Jhapa goalie Nemanja Lemajic denied him in one-on-one situation. 

Jhapa’s Montenegro goalie Nemanja denied Binong’s 25-yard low ball strike without any difficulty in the 17th. A minute later he again denied Nepal international forward Ayush Ghalan in one-on-one situation and injured himself only to be replaced by second choice Anjal Shrestha. In the 25th Joe Aidoo’s freekick smashed on the bar for Pokhara. 

Jhapa’s first real chance came in the 35th when an unmarked Alhaji Gero’s header in Arsic’s corner sailed inches above the bar. They threatened yet again four minutes later through Chhiring Lama who headed inches wide from the crowded area in captain Laken Limmbu freekick. 

Pokhara’s finally managed to break the deadlock seven minutes into the second half after Ayush Ghalan tactfully laid a short pass for Binong who unleashed a scorcher from the area leaving goalie Anjal helpless. 

Jhapa restored the parity in the 65th through Serbian forward Arsic Lazar who applied a curling freekick at the right top of the post stunning goalie Guillaume Yves Priso.