Russel punish B'dhara

Defending champions Sheikh Russel KC snapped a five-match winless streak when they handed a 5-2 defeat on newcomers Uttar Baridhara Club in the first match of the second phase of the Niton Tata Bangladesh Premier League at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday. Jamaican striker Ricardo Cousins struck twice, Haitian midfielder Pascal Millien scored one while Mithun Chowdhury and Shakil Ahmed scored one goal apiece to inflict another drubbing on Uttar Baridhara, a side they had beaten 4-0 in the opening match of the league on December 27, 2013.
This was Sheikh Russel's first win since their 2-0 win over Feni Soccer in mid-January, having drawn three and lost two during the period. For Uttar Baridhara, the misery only worsened as they have now conceded 13 goals in their two previous matches.
The win took Sheikh Russel to joint third position on 15 points from 10 matches, six behind leaders Sheikh Jamal DC. Uttar Baridhara remained at eighth position with six points from ten outings.
Mithun, who had bagged a hattrick in that opening match but had gone goalless since, gave Sheikh Russel the lead in the sixth minute heading in a cross from midfielder Sohel Rana. Millien doubled the advantage in the 32nd minute, stabbing in a low cross from Sohel before Uttar Baridhara's Nigerian forward Kosoko reduced the arrears in the 38th with a powerful shot from inside the box, which beat the keeper and found the net on the far post.
10 minutes after the breather, Cousins restored the two-goal cushion by stroking in a long ball from Millien which hit the post before going into the net. And it was all too easy thereafter for Sheikh Russel with substitute midfielder Shakil Ahmed making it 4-1 in the 74th minute, taking advantage of a defensive fumble.
Cousins bagged his second in the 82nd minute as he chested down a cross from Shakil in an unmarked position before slotting it at the back of the net.
Shahidul Islam Shopon's stoppage time penalty kick made the margin look a bit more respectable, but Sheikh Russel should have ended the match on a bigger margin had they strikers availed all the chances they got towards the end.