Rubel powers Ctg Abahani
Young winger Rubel Mia continued his scoring spree to guide Chittagong Abahani to an emphatic 4-2 win over Mohammedan in the JB Bangladesh Premier League at the MA Aziz Stadium in Chittagong yesterday.
The national team forward, who had struck the equaliser against Dhaka Abahani in their previous match, opened the scoring in the 41st minute with a header before Leonel Saint Preux doubled the lead from the spot in the stoppage time of the first half. Rubel then struck his third goal of the league in the 52nd minute before Aminur Rahman Sajib reduced the arrears in the 76th minute.
Substitute Zahid Hossain made it 4-1 in the 89th minute after sending a rebounder home while Abdul Malek reduced the margin in the stoppage time.
The big win comes as some solace to the Chittagong giants, who had suffered an embarrassing 5-1 defeat against Mohammedan in the Independence Cup.
ABAHANI SCRAPE PAST FENI
Earlier in the day, a first-half strike from Jewel Rana drove title contenders Abahani to a single-goal win over Feni Soccer Club.
Though the four-time professional league champions bagged all three points, the charges of George Kottan were not convincing as they struggled to expose the backline of Feni Soccer, who had held the Sky Blues to a 1-1 draw in the season's first meeting in the Independence Cup and lost to a solitary goal in the Federation Cup.
Feni Soccer probably took inspiration from their first two meetings of the season against Abahani and they fought neck and neck till the last minute yesterday. It would've been no surprise had the team from the country's south-eastern region held their illustrious Dhaka opponents to another draw.
Indeed it was Feni Soccer who launched the first attack of the game in the 26th minute, but a close-range header from Shahran Howlader was surprisingly blocked by defender Tapu Barman, much to the relief of Abahani goalkeeper Shahidul Alam Sohel, who was forced into making a diving save just four minutes later to deny Uche Felix's curling effort from 20 yards.
Abahani tried their attacks from the right flank through Andrew Lee Tuck and Jewel Rana, but the duo hardly penetrated the opposition backline, who successfully negotiated the harmless crosses from Jewel and corners from Tuck.
Abahani, however, came close to taking the lead in the 37th minute but a Sunday Chizoba shot off a Emon Babu corner went off target after a deflection before Abahani broke the deadlock three minutes before the break.
Jewel tapped in from handshaking distance after Feni goalkeeper Sujan Chowdhury failed to grip a Sunday side-volley on an Emon free-kick. That goal proved to be the difference as Abahani failed to create any more scoring chances in the second half while Feni failed to score despite creating chances.
Feni came close twice to reimbursing the lead but Sohel punched away an Imran Hossain Rimon shot while substitute Chowmrin Rakhaine, who had struck the equaliser against Abahani in the Independence Cup, was provided with a great opportunity by Ghanaian midfielder Moro Mohammad, but the midfielder incredibly floated his shot over the bar from inside the six-yard box.