Parvez stunner leaves MSC reeling

Team BJMC midfielder Abdullah Parvez celebrates his stunning 40-yard strike which helped his side beat Mohammedan in their Bangladesh Premier League match at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday. PHOTO: STAR

A struggling Team BJMC brought high-flying Mohammedan SC down with a thrilling 3-2 victory in the Nitol Tata Bangladesh Premier League at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.
National discard Abdullah Parvez was the architect behind BJMC's remarkable triumph after three successive defeats as the winger, who came in place of Shahnur Ronny in the 77th minute, struck a spectacular winner from 40 yards out in the stoppage time after setting up Samson Iliasu for the equaliser.  
With the clock ticking towards the last minute of stoppage time and the score 2-2, substitute Parvez took the ball in the midfield, had a glance at Mohammedan keeper Mamun Khan who was in the middle of the box and pretended to play Ismail Bangoura on the right side. But instead of releasing it for Ismail, he struck a dipping shot from just inside centre circle which sailed over an out-of-position Mamun and ended up at the back of the net.
“It is one of the five best goals I have struck in my playing career but I would consider the goal against Abahani in 2000 which derailed them Abahani from the title race, on top,” said an ecstatic Parvez. “I know Mamun very well as I played with him in Sheikh Russel and I know that he is always confident of not conceding any goal in the air and I took the chance when he stood far away from the post.”
Mohammedan prided over their new backline which turned rock-solid with the inclusion of Nigerian defender Ubom Henry and the Black and Whites won five successive matches without conceding a single goal prior to this match. But BJMC demolished their pride by striking three goals which irritated the Mohammedan officials so much that they did not turn up at the post-match conference.   
“We are also surprised to concede three goals in a match and it might have happened due to overconfidence of the defenders,” said Mohammedan striker Wahed Ahmed. “However, the goalkeeper is responsible for conceding the last two goals.”
BJMC went ahead in the 14th minute when Bangoura converted a penalty kick after he was brought down by Cameroonian defender Bayback before Mohammedan levelled the margin on the half-hour mark through a penalty kick, converted by Damien Chigozie. The Black and Whites went ahead three minutes into the second half through Wahed, who beat BJMC goalkeeper Himel after availing a poor clearance from defender Shamsuddin.
The fate of the game changed once Parvez came into the pitch in the 77th minute as he provided a well-judged cross from the right for Samson, who put it at the back of the net from a difficult angel in the 81st minute before Parvez himself struck the stunning goal.
The second defeat in 12 matches means Mohammedan remain at third position with 20 points, eight behind leaders Sheikh Russel and five behind second-placed Abahani while BJMC raised their tally to 15 from 12 matches to stay at seventh position of the 10-team table.
Meanwhile, in the day's second match of the day, relegation battlers Chittagong Abahani and Uttar Baridhara played out a goalless draw to occupy the bottom two positions with seven points each.