Sheikh Russell took solitary lead of the points table in the Bangladesh Premier League with a 2-1 win over bottom-ranked Arambagh while Mohammedan Sporting Club Limited avenged their first-leg defeat with a 1-0 victory against Muktijoddha Sangsad on Wednesday.
The tenth win from 14 matches took Russell’s tally to 32 points and close to the prestigious league title as they are three points ahead of their nearest rivals Abahani Limited who are occupying second place with 29 points from the same number of matches.
Sheikh Russell now require only four points to claim their third trophy of the season as they are scheduled to face Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club and Feni Soccer Club in their last two matches.
Russell went ahead in the 17th minute through Haitian playmaker Sony Norde, who scored from a placing shot, courtesy of a through pass from Mithun Chowdhury.
National forward Emily doubled their lead in the 36th minute by capitalizing a long ball on the edge of the box and shrugged off his marker Abu Paul to send the ball past the Arambagh goalkeeper and into the back of the net.
Moniruzzaman Mamun of Arambagh reduced the margin 11 minutes after the break by placing home a Sabuj Kumar cross.
In the stoppage time, midfielder Dalim failed to utilise a golden chance blasting the ball over the cross-piece from the middle of the box.
Meanwhile in the first match of the day, Mohammedan midfielder Mezbabul Haque Manik guided his team to a 1-0 victory over Muktijoddha.
Mohammedan came to the match with a bitter memory of a 4-1 defeat at the hands of Muktijoddha Sangsad in Gopalganj.
However, the Black and Whites took the upper hand in the match and created few scoring chances but Ghanaian hitman Osei Morison himself wasted at least three scoring chances in an open net.
Morrison failed to score again after the break in the 53rd minute when Sesam Idou, the Nigerian midfielder lined a through pass for Morrison who cut a curling shot that missed the side post.
Midfielder Mezbabul Haque Manik broke the deadlock in the 62nd minute as he kept a cut-back of Morrison and placed the ball in the far post.
With the win, Mohammedan remained in fourth place with 24 points from 15 matches while Muktijoddha remained in fifth with 16 points from 15 matches.
RESULTS
Mohammedan 1 (Morrison 62) Muktijoddha 0
Sk Russell 2 (Sony 17, Amely 36) Arambagh1 (Mamun 56)
-With New Age input
