No trouble for Abahani

Bangladesh League
No trouble for Abahani
Mercurial striker Enamul Haque slammed the league’s ninth hattrick to power holders Abahani to another easy 4-0 win over Chittagong Mohammedan SC in their Bangladesh League home match at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.
Apart from Enamul’s treble, winger Zahed Parvez Chowdhury netted the other in a one-way affair where the visitors offered no challenge of what they put on against Sheikh Russel at home to hold them to a 2-2 draw.
The Black and Whites of the port city ran behind the Sky Blues throughout the game and their backline was exposed especially in the second half after they were trailing by a single goal in the first half.
Many tried to pick out trouble in the game but Mohammedan coach Abu Sarwar Chowdhury rejected all accusations. Captain Sawkat Khan claimed that they were the victim of poor refereeing and could not come back in the game after conceding an early goal from an offside position.
Capitalizing on a cross from Zahed, Abahani’s national striker Enamul broke the offside trap to advance into the danger zone and chipped the ball over the advancing goalkeeper James Paul to give Abahani a deserved lead in the seventh minute. The leaders, from the word go, pressed hard to pick up three successive corners within the first five minutes.
Chittagong Mohammedan mustered their first shot on target in 14th minute, but it was too weak to trouble Abahani goalkeeper Biplob Bhattacharya. Afterwards, Abahani yielded one after another chance, but their Ghanaian duo Sheriff Deen Mohammedan and Awudu Ibrahim astonishingly squandered all of them and had to be content with a lone goal lead in the first half.
After resumption, midfielder Shahedul Alam was sent in place of Sheriff to establish the sole control and the young playmaker outside the box pushed for Enamul, who shrugged off defender Alauddin to flick the ball home giving the goalkeeper no chance in the 55th minute.
Abahani were deprived of a certain goal in the 65th minute when defender Mohammad Sujan headed a Zahed corner into the woodwork, but Enamul did not disappoint his side after completing his hattrick five minutes from time.
Substitute Abul Hossain put a corner from the right and Enamul rose highest to head it in. His initial attempt was blocked by goalkeeper Paul but the long-haired striker found the back of the net in his second attempt with a side volley to take him top of the scorers chart with 17 goals, three more than his teammate Sheriff, Mohammedan’s Zahid Hasan Emily and Sheikh Russel’s Samad Omari.
Zahed Parvez sealed the fate of the game in stoppage time with a grounder taken from outside of the box.
Abahani consolidated their lead with 58 from 20 games, nine points clear of archrivals Mohammedan, who take on Brothers Union in their 20th match today.
TEAMS
ABAHANI: Biplob, Sujan, Mishu, Siraji, Zahed, Pranotosh (Shaheen), Motiur Munna, Enamul, Sheriff (Shahedul), Samad Yousuf and Awudu (Abul Hossain).
CTG MSC: Paul, Shawkat, Sanwar (Nazir), Manzurul, Pavel (Murshed), Touhidul, Ridon, Shariful (Sabur), Alauddin, Lamine and Gray.
Referee: Tayeb Hasan

Courtesy of The Daily Star