In-form striker Shakhawat Hossain Rony scored a brace to power Abahani to a 3-1 win over Team BJMC at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday, which also took the defending champions to the top of the Grameenphone Bangladesh Premier League.
Rony put the Sky Blues ahead in the first half before midfielder Pranotosh Kumar doubled the lead early in the second half. BJMC’s Nigerian striker Elita Kingsley pulled one back but Rony struck again to seal the sixth victory for Abahani which took them to 16 points from seven matches, joint with Sheikh Jamal DC, who have played a match less.
The chilly sub-10 degrees Celsius weather yesterday afternoon proved little to sampan the spirit of the two sides as they played some entertaining football, albeit in front of a few hundred spectators, and the tempo remained the same throughout the match. However, as there could be one winner, Abahani came out on top, thanks the brace from Rony, who had also struck a pair in their 2-0 win over archrivals Mohammedan in their previous match.
The national team’s striker felt that hard-work and consistent practice is behind his good form.
“The coach (Ardeshir) has been working with me extra time with me and I have been practising heading, shooting to bring perfection to my game,” said Rony. “After having struck two goals against Mohammedan, I gained confidence which was evident in today’s match. I did not disappoint my team.”
However, Abahani nearly conceded a lead in the 11th minute when Kingsley’s shot just missed the top of the bar, much to the relief of Abahani goalkeeper Shahidul Alam Sohel.
Abahani launched their first attack on the half-hour, but Rony’s feeble volley was cleared off the goalline by defender Amit Khan Shuvo. However, Rony redeemed himself by scoring the opener three minutes later, this time slapping a glancing header on a Towhidul Alam cross, past BJMC goalkeeper Aminul Haque.
Abahani kept the tempo and doubled the lead seven minutes into the second half when veteran midfielder Pranotosh Kumar’s 25-yarder took a deflection off defender Kesto Kumar before finding the back of the net.
BJMC however showed some character as they pulled one goal back in the 65th minute though Kingsley. The Nigerian headed home an Ismael Bangoura cross to bring their side back in the match. But Rony sealed the fate of the match eight minutes later by slotting the ball home from six yeards out, after receiving a square pass from Atiqur Rahman Meshu.
That goal virtually killed off the resistance of BJMC and confined them to the sixth position with eight points from seven matches.
-With The Daily Star input
