Stephane Samir Binong scored in the added time of the second half to salvage Butwal Lumbini a 1-1 draw against Chitwan in the Nepal Super League at the Dasharath Stadium in Kathmandu on Thursday.

A howler from Butwal goalkeeper Mohamodou allowed Utsav Rai to put Chitwan in front in the 48th minute but dangerman Binong outsmarted two Chitwan defenders before firing past goalkeeper Bishal Shrestha in the first minute of the stoppage time to rescue a point for Butwal.

The outcome will still be depressing for both sides—especially for Chitwan who were looking to squeeze into the top four of the nine-team standings after registering their first ever win in the Nepal Super League history last week. The result puts them in the fifth spot on five points, level with defending champions Kathmandu Rayzrs, who have a match in hand, and three adrift of leaders Pokhara Thunders.

For a Butwal side that snapped their two-match losing run three days ago, the outcome is still a huge blow to their hopes of advancing into the playoffs for the second season in a row.

Chitwan dominated the first half, holding ball possessions to bring their opponents to knees and creating plenty of chances but Mehrajuddin Waddo’s side still lacked the ruthlessness to finish off the attack, with their best opportunity coming in the 42nd minute to Bimal Gharti Magar who scuffed a shot wide after Afriyie Ac Quah’s pass sent him through on goal.

Butwal were bold at times, orchestrating swift counter attacks but against a disciplined Chitwan defence, their execution was the second best.

Gilespye Jung Karki looked off most of the time and could not properly connect with his attacking partner Binong, who also misfired on many occasions throughout the match.

Chitwan pushed more aggressively after the restart and it almost paid off quickly as Ek Raj Budhathoki found a free scoring opportunity after Rafiq Aminu set him up in front of the goal but the defender wasted it.

Moments later, Chitwan were up 1-0 thanks to a pair of goalkeeping errors from Mohamodou. Rai intercepted a poor goal kick from Mohamodou and quickly tried his luck from distance. The goalkeeper could have made a routine save but let the ball slip through his hand and into the net.

Butwal desperately searched for an equaliser after conceding and Chitwan goalkeeper Bishal Shrestha had to be watchful to prevent Binong when one-on-one in the 54th minute.

Bijay Maharjan’s side showed a strong determination to fight back in the last ten minutes, with Binong leading the heist threatening the Chitwan box on a number of occasions.

Serge Song almost levelled the game in the 90th minute with a curling effort that beat goalkeeper Shrestha but hit the upright.

Binong stole the show a minute later, cleverly flicking the ball through two Chitwan defenders and over an advancing Shrestha after Mani Lama put him through.