Abahani get back to winning ways

Abahani returned to winning ways in the Bangladesh Premier League with an emphatic 4-1 victory over Swadhinata KS at the Shaheed Dhirendranath Datta Stadium in Cumilla yesterday.

Abahani, who had been all but out of the title race following their 4-2 defeat against Saif SC in the previous match, raised their points tally to 41 from 19 matches. The Sky Blues, however, are still a long way off from leaders Bashundhara Kings (48 points), who need only a win in the remaining three matches to ensure their hat-trick title. 

Meanwhile, the defeat mean that Swadhinata KS remained at the bottom of the 13-team table with nine points from 19 matches.

Going into the game, Abahani were full aware of their opponents' capabilities, especially after dropping points against Swadhinata KS in the first leg. The Sky Blues did face a bit of resistance until Daniel Colindres capitalised on a mistake from opposition defender Jaynul Abedin Dipu in the 20th minute to give Abahani the lead.

Four minutes later, another fumble from Serbian defender Ivan Maric saw Brazilian Dorielton Gomes make it 2-0 in Abahani's favour.

Abahani seemed to have taken their feet off the pedal after a comfortable 2-0 lead and survived two scares from the Swadhinata KS forwards in the dying minutes of the first half. But three minutes into the first-half stoppage time, Japanese forward Yuta Suzuki found a way as he nodded home a Jahedul Alam chip to pull one back for Swadhinata KS.

After resumption, Abahani once again came close to conceding a goal when keeper Shahidul Alam Sohel thwarted a goal-bounding cross from Dipu in 52nd minute. That seemed to have worked as a wake-up call for Abahani, who then did not give any space to the newcomers and wrapped the game up with two more goals.

Dorielton scored his second goal of the game in the 57th minute while Brazilian Raphael Augustin, following a one-two with Dorielton, hammered an angular shot past the keeper in the 80th minute.