High-octane tie ends in draw
Defending champions Abahani were held to a 2-2 draw in their Green Delta Insurance Premier Division Hockey League fixture at the Maulana Bhasani Hockey Stadium yesterday.
The high-voltage encounter remained halted for 20 minutes following a decision by umpire Hari Sharan, who was conducting his first match, after the Singaporean awarded a penalty corner to Mohammedan just a couple minutes before the final whistle. However, he reversed the decision after consulting with fellow umpire Khaled Hossain of Hong Kong following protests of Abahani players.
The change in decision left Mohammedan supporters angry and they threw water bottles, broken chairs, sandals, tea pots into the field. The players of Mohammedan followed suit by refraining from playing. Eventually the intervention of Bangladesh Hockey Federation's general secretary Abdus Sadeque helped resume the match.
The fixture was equally important for both sides as the Black and Whites targeted regaining the lead while the Sky Blues' aim was to make up for the two points they dropped in the 3-3 draw against Dhaka Mariner Youngs Club.
However, the outcome saw Usha KC remain on top of the 12-team table with maximum 15 points from five matches, two ahead of Mohammedan and four in front of Abahani.
Even though it was a fight of country's two traditional foes, the game turned into a battle among 10 Pakistani players, who were at the centre of all four goals that were scored.
Abahani had beaten the same opposition 4-2 in the Club Cup, but this time they found it hard against the Black and Whites, who fielded a full strength side with five Pakistani players.
“The last time we played against Mohammedan who were without any foreign players and were also missing a couple of key local players. Moreover, today we made a lot of mistakes and could not avail some scoring chances,” Abahani's coaching advisor Mahbub Harun said.
“Thought I am not satisfied with the outcome, I am happy with the way the players performed and I think we are on the right track in title race,” said Mohammedan coach Azizullah Haider Jamal.
Pakistani recruit Tasvar Abbas put Mohammedan ahead in the ninth minute by converting a penalty corner, but the lead lasted only four minutes when Toushique Arshad levelled the margin, also from a penalty corner.
Abahani then took the lead in the 28th minute through a reverse-hit from Shafqat Rasool but Tasvar converted yet another penalty corner to equalise in the 48th minute.
Comments