Defending champions Sheikh Russell KC made a flying start in the opening match of the seventh edition of the Bangladesh Premier Football League, crushing promoted side Uttar Baridhara 4-0 at the Bangabandhu National Stadium on Friday. National forward Mithun Chowdhury netted a hat-trick while Jamaican recruit Ricardo Cousins grabbed the other goal in a one-sided game.
Mithun, one of two national footballers in the Sheikh Russell squad, did not follow the path of three other national players – Mamunul Islam, Zahid Hasan Ameli and Zahid Hossain – who recently left the team for pastures new.
And the Blue and White outfit’s decision to retain Mithun paid rich dividends as he struck his third hat-trick of his professional career.
His first two hat-tricks came in 2009 and 2011 for Chittagong Abahani and Muktijoddha Sangsad KC respectively.
Treble winners last season, Sheikh Russell lost some of their strength after parting with Mamunul, Ameli and Zahid while star Haitian playmaker Sony Norde also departed as they exited the season’s opening tournament, Federation Cup, in the quarterfinals.
However, Sheikh Russell coach Maruful Haque worked hard to set up his newly-assembled squad before the season got underway and in the very first match of the top flight, he got the desired result.
‘My new formation 3-3-1-3 worked for me. I don’t know whether any other club can adapt to this formation,’ said Maruful after the match. ‘We have the ability to play better. This was not the real test as the opponent was weaker than we expected.’
Maruful selected three foreign players in his line-up — Cousins, Uruguayan Francisco Usucar and Moroccan Mohamed Amine – and the triumvirate dictated play in midfield on several occasions.
Mithun, along with his striking partner Anwar Hossain, tried to break open the opposition defence a number of times only to fall short narrowly on each instance.
Maruful though interchanged Anwar and Cousins’ positions and the change was immediately rewarded as Mithun opened his account in the 34th minute.
Usucar’r curling free-kick from the left flank found Mithun in the box and the latter made no mistake tapping the ball home.
In the 40th minute, Uttar Baridhara’s Khalekur tried a left-footed shot from the edge of the box but his effort went wide of the post.
Mithun though doubled Sheikh Russell’s lead in first-half stoppage time when Sabuj Kumar Biswas provided a pass from the right wing and Mithun calmly went past goalkeeper Osman Goni and placed the ball to the back to the net.
Sheikh Russell’s third arrived in the 49th minute with Mithun setting up Cousins and the Uruguayan performed a few step-overs before slotting the ball past the Uttar Baridhara custodian.
Mithun completed his hat-trick in the 63rd minute after snatching the ball from the feet of Uttar Baridhara’s Nigerian defender Kosoko and found the far post with a clinical shot.
Powerhouses Sheikh Jamal DC will take on another promoted side from the Bangladesh Championship League, Chittagong Abahani, today at the same venue.
Result
Sheikh Russel KC (Mithun 33,45,63, Ricard0 51) v Uttar Baridhara Club 0
-With New Age input
