Trishna seals 3-2 win in feisty encounter against Nepal

Trishna Rani Sarkar scored with the last kick of the match deep into stoppage time as Bangladesh edged Nepal 3-2 in a feisty encounter of the SAFF U-20 Women's Championship at the Bashundhara Kings Arena on Sunday.

Trishna turned home Umehla Marma's low cross to send the hosts to the top of the four-team tournament with two wins from two matches.

Bangladesh, the defending champions, had taken a 2-0 lead in the first half, thanks to goals from Sinha Jahan Shikha and Mosammat Sagorika.  Shikha had opened the scoring in the 14th minute, smashing home a goalline clearance before Sagorika, the joint-top scorer of the competition with four goals, doubled the lead with a placing shot following a double-save by the Nepal goalkeeper.

Mosammat Sagorika was involved in a tussle with an opposition player, earning both red cards. Photo: Firoz Ahmed

However, the hosts lost the momentum after the break following a red card to Sagorika and a Nepal player following a full-blown scuffle in the 56th minute.

A couple of substitutions by coach Peter Butler, including that of captain Afeida Khandaker, also played a part in conceding the momentum to Nepal as Anisha Rai pulled one back from a spot-kick in the 77th minute before Meena Deuba placed home a low cross from Purnima Rai in the 86th minute, catching Bangladesh's high-line defence off-guard in a quick counter-attack.

There were more opportunities coming for both teams but it was Trishna, who wasted a couple of chances after coming on early in the second half, who made the difference with the winning goal in the 12th minute of stoppage time.