Baridhara stay alive with exciting win

Uttar Baridhara Club kept their hopes of getting out of their group alive with an exciting 3-2 win over Arambagh in a Walton Federation Cup encounter at Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.

Abdul Khalek Hammad played a key role behind the triumph, the Egyptian forward assisting the first two goals before striking the third for Baridhara, who came into the match on the back of a 0-3 drubbing at the hands of Saif SC.

A rejuvenated Arambagh looked determined to carry over the tempo from their 2-0 win over Brothers Union by pressing from the start and maintaining a high line. But the former Federation Cup runners-up had to pay a high price for leaving large spaces behind the backline, which were exploited on the right flank by the pacey Hammad.

After being denied by woodwork, national striker Suman Reza gave Baridhara a well-deserved lead with a simple tap-in from a low cross from Hammad in the 24th minute before Sujan Biswas, availing a forward pass from Hammad, doubled the lead with a clever chip over goalkeeper Abdul Kashem Milon in the 30th minute.

Arambagah reduced the deficit to 2-1 in the 37th minute with a placed shot from Nigerian Chizoba Christopher before Suman squandered a chance to equalise as his strike rattled the post. A minute later, Hammad got onto a defence-splitting pass and widened the margin for Baridhara.

After resumption, Arambagh made three chances and went all out in an effort to equalise and substitute Nihat Jamal Ucchash made it 3-2 in the 75th minute with a header off a cross from substitute Miraj Mollah but they could not avert a defeat.