Mohammedan Sporting Club carried the momentum of their Independence Cup in the Bangladesh Premier League edging past Muktijoddha Sangsad KC 1-0 at the Bangabandhu National Stadium on Sunday. A tenth-minute strike by unmarked Zahid Hasan Ameli helped Mohammedan climb to third position with 17 points from 10 outings. The result took Mohammedan hot on the heels of arch-rivals Abahani, who are two points ahead in second place. Mohammedan now trail leaders Sheikh Jamal by seven points. Muktijoddha slipped to fifth position owing to adding no points to their 15 from previous nine matches. This was Mohammedan’s second successive win over Muktijodha after beating the same opponents by an identical margin in the Independence Cup quarter-final.
Muktijoddha had the early momentum on Sunday after Nkowcha Kingsley headed a cross from Sunday Chizoba inches over the crosspiece in the third minute to scare Mohammedan.
Mohammedan went ahead with a touch of luck when Arup Kumar ran into the box from the right to make a fierce cut-back which Muktijoddha’s Cameroonian defender Gerald Ledoux attempted to clear but failed.
The ball slipped out of Muktijoddha goalkeeper Rasel Mahmud Liton’s grip and fell into the feet of Ameli who did not a mistake to tap it in.
Muktijoddha pressed hard for the equaliser and came close to levelling the scoreline on 33 minutes when a running Eleta Kingsley failed to connect a Sunday free-kick much to the relief of Mohammedan goalkeeper Mamun Khan.
On resumption, Mohammedan adopted defensive strategy and it became obvious after Mohammedan winger Zahid Hasan and Muktijoddha
captain Maruf Ahmed were both given their marching orders 11 minutes into the second half.
Before the incident goalkeeper Mamun Khan made a brilliant save tipping a header from Nkowcha over the crosspiece to keep Mohammedan in the match.
Muktijoddha goalkeeper Liton was also tested by Ameli, who headed on a Towhidul Alam cross from the right in the 73rd minute only to see it saved brilliantly.
RESULT
Mohammedan SC 1 (Ameli 10) v Muktijoddha Sangsad 0
-With New Age input
