Farashganj 0 – 0 Abahani Sk Russel 2 – 1 Feni Soccer
Title contenders Sheikh Russel Krira Chakra moved to second position in the Manyavar Bangladesh Premier league after coming out with a 2-1 victory against Feni Soccer Club at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.
Having shrugged off the disappointment of a 2-2 draw against Farashganj, the former champions played a planned game and managed to stave off the challenge from the mid-table side in the second half.
The win took the new powerhouse of Dhaka football to 16 points from eight matches, seven behind league leaders Sheikh Jamal, who have played one more match.
Sheikh Russel made a brisk start to the game and took a deserved lead in the 13th minute when Hemanta Vincent Biswas, the young midfielder of the national team, tapped in a rebound after Feni goalkeeper Salimullah had blocked a powerful shot from Akeem Sayeed into his path.
However, much against the run of play the former treble-winners conceded the equaliser only six minutes later when a quick counter-attack from Feni was rewarded with a penalty kick.
The penalty resulted when Abdullah Al Mamun’s darting run inside the box was cut short by a lunging tackle from Sheikh Russel defender Wali Faisal. Gambian forward Jatta Mustapha stepped up and tucked in the spot-kick.
With wind back in their sails, Feni twice came close to taking the lead but Sheikh Russel’s national goalkeeper Rasel Mahmud Liton made sure he wasn’t going to be beaten from open play. The 20-year-old custodian valiantly staved off efforts Mamun and Dawda Ceesay minutes either side of the break. Liton’s superb performance didn’t go in vain as Sheikh Russel regained their lead on the hour-mark with a close-range header from Kingsley Chigozie on a cross from his strike partner Zahid Hasan Emily. The Nigerian almost found a third in the 78th minute, but his clever side-volley came off the crossbar.