Newcomers Saif Sporting Club was held to a 1-1 draw by Sheikh Russell Krira Chakra in their Bangladesh Premier League match at the Bangabandhu National Stadium on Wednesday.
Mohammedan Sporting Club tasted their third win of the league when they beat Arambagh Krira Sangha 3-1 in the second match of the day at the same venue.Saif, who had a great chance to move into second position of the points table, were reduced to 10-man with just two minutes into the second half after Riyadul Hasan was shown a straight red card for a foul on Kawser Ali Rabbi.
Despite going one man short, Saif went ahead in the 62nd minute when their skipper Jamal Bhuiyan headed the ball home following a precise corner of Hemanta Vincent Biswas from the left.
However, the lead lasted only seven minutes as Russell levelled the margin with a nice finish from Fazle Rabbi after his Gambian attacking partner Dawda Ceesay headed down a corner towards an unmarked Rabbi.
With the result, Saif remained in fourth position with 18 points from nine matches, one place above Russell, who have 12 points from the same number of outings.
Meanwhile, after two consecutive draws, Mohammedan returned to winning ways after a brace from Nigerian midfielder Samson Illiasu, who struck two long-range goals in either half of the match.
Shahriar Bappy pulled one goal back for Arambagh in the 84th minute before Nigerian Nkwocha Kingsley completed the rout for Mohammedan with an added time strike.
The win took Mohammedan to the sixth position with 11 points from nine matches while Arambagh remained on ninth position with seven points.
RESULTs
Saif Sporting Club 1 (Jamal Bhuiyan 62) v Sk Russell KC 1 (Fazle Rabbi 69); Mohammedan SC 3 (Samson Illiasu 20, 65, Nkwocha Kingsley 90+) v Arambagh KS 1 (Shahriar Bappy 84)
-With New Age input
