Newcomers Team BJMC and holders Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club chalked up comprehensive victories in the Grameenphone Bangladesh Premier League yesterday.
A brace from Guinean Ismael Bangoura helped Team BJMC defeat a spirited Brothers Union 3-1 while Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club thrashed Rahmatganj MFS 4-2. Both matches were played at the Bangabandhu National Stadium.
With their fifth win in 12 matches, BJMC maintained fourth position in the 11-team table with 20 points while Sheikh Jamal leapfrogged to the fifth position with 18 points from 14 outings.
Federation Cup runners-up BJMC had started the league on a winning note but failed keep the momentum thereafter. Now it seems that they are back in some sort of form, thanks to Guinean striker Bangoura who has found the back of the net in successive matches.
BJMC came close to taking a first-minute lead when Bangoura found the goalkeeper on a one-one-one situation, but his shot went straight to goalkeeper Uttam Barua. However, the Guinean made amends when he converted a penalty kick in the next minute.
Nigerian Abdul Rasheed was badly tackled from behind by midfielder Didarul Alam inside the box and referee Mizanur Rahman pointed to the spot, which Bangoura converted easily.
Bangoura doubled the lead four minutes later as he rose high to head in a Rasheed lob from the right flank. That goal gave BJMC a strangle hold on the game, although Brothers showed signs of a come back as the game wore on.
Substitute Touhidul Islam Siddique came close to reducing margin in the 16th minute, but the striker’s floating effort went over the crosspiece. Two minutes later, Brothers did score when creative midfielder Jamal Hossain unleashed a powerful left-footer from outside the box past goalkeeper Atiqul Islam Tareq.
Brothers nearly equalised on the half-hour mark but Habib Diouf narrowly missed to connect to a Touhidul Islam cross with only the goalkeeper to beat.
However against the run of play, BJMC extended the margin in the 41st minute. Availing a fumble from Mohammad Javed, veteran Saiful Islam Saif controlled a Bangoura through-pass to drive an angular shot past goalkeeper Uttarm Barua.
After resumption, Brothers enjoyed superior ball procession and yielded some good chances but were denied by a solid BJMC defence.
In the second match of the day, Sohel Rana, Touhidul Alam Sabuj, Atiqur Rahman Meshu and Kester Akon struck one goal apiece as Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club won 4-2 against Rahmatganj MFS. Idris Kasirye and Nche Francis reduced the margin for the losing side.
Sheikh Jamal went ahead in the 15th minute, thanks to a 30-yard strike from Sohel Rana. Toudidul Alam Sabuj doubled the lead in the next minute with a diving header off a low-cross from Nigerian midfielder Chukwuemeka Afusi.
Defender Atiqur Rahman Meshu made it 3-0 with after the restart a close-range tap before Rahmatganj pulled one back in the 71st minute from a spot-kick, with Idris Kasirye sending goalkeeper Aminul Haque the wrong way.
Sheikh Jamal’s forward Nigerian Kester Akon restored the three-goal cushion with a solo effort in 85th minute before Nche Francis pulled another goal back with a powerful drive from outside the area in the stoppage time.
-With The Daily Star input
