Bashundhara Kings extend winning run

Leaders Bashundhara Kings extended their winning run to 11 matches in the Bangladesh Premier League with a 3-2 win against Rahmatganj MFS at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.

With 16 wins in 17 matches, the newcomers consolidated their lead with 49 points, seven ahead of second-placed Abahani. Rahmatganj remained in ninth position with 15 points from 18 matches.

Bashundhara were given a run for their money, especially in the first half by Rahmatganj, however, it was Bashundhara, who took the lead in the 10th minute when Brazilian striker Marcos Vinicius put a defence-splitting through-pass for Costa Rican forward Daniel Colindres, who raced past two defenders to flick the ball over onrushing goalkeeper Hamidur Rahman Rimon.

Bashundhara survived a wave of attacks from Rahmatganj, with Landing Darboe and Rakibul mustering powerful shots from distance but goalkeeper Anisur Rahman Zico thwarted all of those efforts.

The league leaders doubled the lead in the 25th minute, thanks to a brilliant finish by Matin Mia, who received a through-pass from Colindres inside the box and danced past two defenders before firing home.

Matin again came close to extending the lead 10 minutes later but his shot at near post went narrowly wide before Enamul Islam frustrated Rahmatganj by floating the ball over the crosspiece in the 39th minute.

Rahmatganj finally found the back of the net in the 42nd minute when Rakibul, capitalising on a forward-pass from Landing, drove an angular shot.      

The Old Dhaka outfit were unable to shrug off the pressure and were stopping Bashundhara, who saw Matin Mia and Vinicius squander two chances before substitute Towhidul Alam Sabuz made it 3-1 in the stoppage time by tapping in on a free-kick from Colindres.

Rahmatganj pulled back another goal in the final minute of stoppage time after Landing, who was fouled by Nayeem Uddin inside the box, converted a penalty.