Abahani stay in the hunt
Brothers Union's impressive run in the Nitol Tata Bangladesh Premier League continued as the All Oranges posted their fifth victory in last six matches with a 2-1 win over Feni Soccer Club at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.
With overall seventh win in 15 matches, Brothers overtook Mohammedan SC to grab the third position of the ten-team table with 25 points. They are still 12 points adrift of leaders Sheikh Jamal DC and six behind second-placed Abahani, who raised their tally to 31 points after an empathic 5-2 win over Uttar Baridhara Club in the day's second match.
Abahani's victory was on the cards right from the beginning as they took the lead within 41 seconds when midfielder Shahedul Alam drove home from the edge of the six-yard box. Right-back Nasirul Islam doubled the lead in the 13th minute after playing a nice one-two with Awudu Ibrahim.
Awudu then set up the third goal for Portuguese Leonildo Suares, who found the back of the net with a placing shot in the 21st minute before Awudu himself got on the scoresheet with a strike in the 55th minute.
Baridhara pulled one back through Kenyan striker Collins Tiego in the 66th minute but Akele Patrick restored Abahani's four-goal cushion in the 81st minute. Baridhara substitute Dulal Hasan found a second consolation goal with a chip in the stoppage time.
Meanwhile, Brothers gave more evidence of their fortified attack after the inclusion of Haitian hitman Augustine Walson, who has struck four goals in last three matches while his Nigerian strike-partner Kester Akon has also been in great form to scoring seven goals. The two bagged one goal each in yesterday's match against Feni Soccer Club.
Brothers showed signs of a goalfest as Walson found the back of the net in the tenth minute, but his strike was controversially ruled out for off-side.
Walson however got himself on the scoresheet six minutes later when he availed a fumble from a Feni midfielder to advance into the box and place the ball past the left-hand of goalkeeper Mohammad Nehal.
Having survived two close calls, Brothers doubled the lead in the 40th minute through Akon, who drove a low shot to beat Nehal.
After the break, Feni put up some resistance and pulled one goal back in the 61st minute when substitute Ali Hasan latched on to a Chuka Charles cross and calmly placed the ball home from close range. But Feni's hopes of a comeback were shattered when goalkeeper Nehal was sent off in the 80th minute for handling the ball outside the box.
Brothers came close to widening the margin from a counter attack but a low drive from Nigerian striker Simon hit the woodwork, which in the end, mattered little to the outcome.
Comments