Brothers Finish Fifth

Brothers Union signed off their inaugural professional football league campaign with a come-from-behind 4-1 win in an ill-tempered match against Chittagong Abahani.

Both sides ended with ten players after Abahani's foreign recruit Banei Othelo and Brothers' Mamunul Islam, who got his maiden national call last week, were sent off.

Just before the short whistle, the two players were locked in a scuffle following a foul by Othello that spread among the officials. The home tent had more men than permitted and they invaded the pitch which needed police intervention to stop the chaos.

The match resumed after referee Shahidul Islam Lalu, who failed to handle the situation properly, showed red cards to both the midfielders.

The Dhaka giants, two-time defending Premiership champions, ensured fifth place in the 11-team B. League table with 26 points while Chittagong Abahani remained third from bottom with the threat of finishing one place below.

Khulna Abahani and Rahamatganj will fight to avoid a bottom-table end and if one of these two win their tomorrow's game, Chittagong Abahani will slip to tenth place.

The home side, however, got off to a flying start when Nepalese international Santosh Shahukhal put the port-city sky-blues ahead after eight minutes at the MA Aziz Stadium with a superb shot from the right side of the penalty area.

Brothers, who had won 3-0 against Chittagong Abahani in Dhaka in both sides' opening match of the competition, restored parity eight minutes later through Ashraful Quader Manju, whose brace in the last round helped the Oranges edged Rahmatganj 2-1.

Manju collected a pass from skipper and leftback Masud Rana to finish inside from the box.

The match went into halftime 1-1 and looked set for a draw as Santosh was denied twice by rival keeper Mohammed Ali, whose superb saves inspired Syed Nayeemuddin's side to snatch three points with a late rally.

Defender Amit Khan Shuvra pounced on a corner by Faisal Mahmud to shoot the visitors ahead after 70 minutes while Nigerian striker Elijah Junior put the result beyond doubt two minutes from time with his 16th league goal when he went round Nepalese goalie Surendra to slot home after latching with a through from substitute Mahbub.

Junior now looks on course to retain his top scorer's position with only fellow Nigerian and Mohammedan captain Mwach Ukwu Paul chasing him. Paul has one match in hand to improve on his 14 goals while Mohammedan striker Christina Emeka and Abahani forward Zahid Hassan Emily, who also have a game remaining, are distant third with a dozen goals each.

There was more and substitute Faisal Mahmud's superlative strike outside from the box made it 4-1 in the stoppage time.

After his last match with the Gopibagh outfit, Brothers' Indian coach Nayeemuddin will take over as Bangladesh national coach.

Manju Brace Saves Brothers

Two-goal Ashraful Qauader Manju inspired Brothers Union to a come-from-behind 2-1 victory against Rahamatganj in the penultimate round of the B. League yesterday.

Manju, who replaced Faisal Mahmud after the break, cancelled Rahamatganj midfielder Mohammed Mamun's first half strike in the 70th minute and slammed the match winner in the stoppage time as the Oranges recorded their seventh win in 19 games.

On a rain-soaked pitch at the Bangabandhu National Stadium that reminded the sparse crowd of a paddy field, football was far from attractive.

Defending looked like a difficult job for both sides who struggled to get purchase on the slow strip but the attackers also shared moments of embarrassment.

Local giants Brothers, who dominated the show, created the first real opportunity against the second-from-bottom old Dhaka outfit after 35 minutes.

With the rival defence failing to clear a combined Brothers attack, Jalaluddin set captain Masud Rana with a free shot and the veteran leftback kept the ball on target. However, Rahamatganj skipper Sony headed the ball out of the line to keep the scoreline goalless.

Mamun gave Rahamatganj a 1-0 lead at halftime when he broke the deadlock in the 44th minute with his second goal in the league. Taking a pass from Nigerian striker Francis just outside the penalty area, Mamun unleashed a rising shot from the left side to deceive Mohammed Ali as the ball went in off the rival goalkeeper's near post.

Minutes after his arrival on the pitch, substitute Manju stabbed the ball through a forest of legs for the equaliser after the Rahamatganj backline failed to clear a long ball.

Just when both sides looked settled for a draw, Jalal curved a lob from the right top pick Manju, who nodded home his third league goal in the first minute of the time added on.

Brothers, who play their last match against Chittagong Abahani away at the port city, regained fifth place with 26 points while there was no improvement for Rahamatganj from 13 points.

Emeka Powers MSC

Mohammedan Sporting Club striker Emeka made sure his side stayed alive in the hunt for the championship after his lone strike sunk Brothers Union hopes during their second-leg B. League match at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.

Latching on to a long ball from countryman Divine in the 65th minute, the black and white's Nigerian recruit slotted home the winner past Brothers' goalkeeper Mohammad Ali, who just seconds before had fisted away the ball from Divine's shot.

Interestingly, Emeka also scored the winner in the corresponding fixture earlier in the season.

It was a very important victory for Mohammedan as they now go level on points with arch-rivals and league leaders Abahani on 38 points from 18 matches while the Oranges remained at mid-table with 23 points from 18 outings. Abahani, however, have a chance to go three points clear if they win today's match against Arambagh.

Mohammedan coach Shafiqul Islam Manik stated that they now have a good chance to grab the first-ever B. League title, although their Dhanmondi-based rivals still have a match in hand.

"We'll be taking the two remaining matches very seriously. Even if we win all the two matches, we will still have to wait for Abahani's results," said the former national player.

About the day's performance, he commented that he was satisfied with his players, adding, "The boys played absolutely superb."

Manik's counterpart and new Bangladesh coach Syed Nayeemuddin mentioned a slippery ground but also admitted failure.

"We missed some scoring chances in the beginning of the match." he said.

The Oranges manager Amer Khan said, "The match against Mohammedan was a matter of prestige for us, as we failed to win any match against the big teams in the league. And once again, we failed to win."

Earlier, Zahid Hossain Emily's cross was cleared by Rony in the Brothers' defence in the tenth minute but the ever-alert Divine fired in the loose ball from 30 yards but the shot was parried away by Ali for a corner.

Brothers had a string of chances in the first-half but were thwarted. First it was Jalaluddin whose curved effort in the 21st minute off a ball sent into the penalty area from Brothers' Nigerian player Elija Junior. Then it was Junior himself who headed directly into Mohammedan goalkeeper Himel's lap after heading in a right-flank cross from midfielder Liton in the 29th minute.

Himel foiled another attack, saving Junior's close range shot off a Mamun pass in the 41st minute.

Come the second half, and Brothers continued to attack as Faisal Mahmud's volley went wide.

Mohammedan then almost opened their account but Brothers' custodian Ali rushed in to stop a through-ball from Emily which was intended for Emeka's well-timed run into the danger area.

Abahani and Chittagong Mohammedan Avenge Defeats

It was a day of revenge for touring sides as the B. League completed its 18th week yesterday.

Title contenders Abahani crushed their Khulna namesakes 5-1 away at Khulna Stadium to wipe out memories of a stunning 2-1 loss in Dhaka in the first leg.

In Dhaka, visiting Chittagong Mohammedan upset struggling giants Brothers Union 2-1 to settle scores of a 1-0 home loss in late April.

Abahani consolidated their position atop the table after their 11th win in 17 matches, opening up a three-point lead over archrivals Mohammedan.

The day began for the Dhaka sky-blues brightly. Unlike their first-leg clash, when they had stormed the Khulna Abahani goal but wasted a series of chances in the first half hour before eventually losing, Amalesh Sen's league leaders went ahead after three minutes with Ghanaian forward Awudu Ibrahim scoring in the third minute.

After a rather quiet first half, the game came alive after the break with four goals inside 20 minutes. Ibrahim got his second of the match - his fifth in the league - ten minutes after resumption but Khulna Abahani reduced the arrears a minute later through midfielder Tajul Islam.

But the visiting side took absolute control with goals by winger Abdullah Parvez and forward Tipu, in the 61 and 75 minutes, putting the result beyond doubt.

Emily sealed the victory one minute from time with his eighth strike in four games, the inform Abahani No. 10 taking his tally to ten goals.

Khulna Abahani remained bottom of the table along with Rahmatganj and fellow Abahani from Chittagong, all three on 12 points.

Chittagong Mohammedan, meanwhile, brightened their chances of a top-half finish when they came from a goal down to beat Brothers at the Bangabandhu National Stadium with goals from substitutes Rashedul Alam Dipu and Kamrul Islam Pavel.

Brothers dominated the first period but Mamun's shot midway through the first half was saved by goalkeeper Raju, who was substituted due to injury. Jalaluddin fluffed an easy chance on the stroke of halftime when he sideheaded a Masud Rana cross over the bar.

The visitors threatened with Yusuf's darting run on the half hour but when his effort was partially cleared by rival shotstopper Mohammed Ali, Zahid failed to properly shoot the rebound.

It took the Oranges two minutes after the break to go ahead with Jalaluddin setting a cross from the left. Nigerian striker Junior controlled the ball well before skirting opposition defender Sohel to slot a neat left footer past substitute goalie Titu to reestablish his position as top scorer with 15 goals.

A couple of defensive errors, however, cost Brothers their sixth defeat.

Dipu, who came in on for Towhid, equalised in the 69th minute when he collected the ball and went past Ali to push the ball into an open goal after Jewel Rana and the Brothers keeper hesitated on a long ball.

Asif Yusuf then sliced the rival defence with a through for Pavel, who replaced Shah Alam, to race past Jewel and slam the match winner with an angled drive three minutes before the final whistle.

Junior came close to level scores in time added on but his powerful freekick from 30 yards was kept out by Titu for a corner.

Chittagong Mohammedan increased their collection to 22 points, just one behind Brothers after both have played 17 games.

Abahani Cross Brothers Hurdle

Veteran centre-back Nazrul Islam converted a second half penalty to give Abahani a 1-0 win against Brothers Union yesterday as the sky-blues consolidated their position in the B. League table.

With their tenth win in 16 matches, Abahani returned to the top with 35 points, opening up a two-point lead over Muktijoddha - who have played a match more - and three ahead of 16-match Mohammedan.

On the other hand, Brothers' fifth loss in 16 games ensured that the defending two-time champions of the now-defunct premiership have crashed out of the title race completely as they stuck to 23 points.

The Oranges, who held Abahani to a goalless draw in the first leg, suffered early blows as fullback Lajuk, getting a start after a long break, picked up an injury two minutes after kick-off at the Bangabandhu National Stadium.

Indian coach Syed Nayeemuddin soon changed to a flat four-back system from 5-3-2 but it seemed that it was not a day for the future Bangladesh national coach as striker Tapu began to limp after ten minutes. He was eventually replaced by Manju midway through the first half when Brothers had to weather a sky-blue storm.

Abahani, however, failed to make most of the early pressure despite loud cheers from a 5,000-strong crowd.

An overlapping fullback Siraji played one-two with Ibrahim to make the first break but his low drive was blocked by Nizam at the Brothers goal after seven minutes. In the next minute, Ibrahim was unfortunate to see his powerful shot come off his teammate Emily before Nizam smothered on a long-range effort by Ujjal.

As Brothers regrouped, league's top scorer Junior caught Abahani central defender Pradip napping in the 19th minute but the Nigerian failed to keep his shot from 12 yards on target.

With Abahani's domination fizzling out, Hicham Inani let fly a 30-yarder but the Moroccan midfielder's shot skimmed the upright much to the relief of Abahani custodian Biplab.

Abahani, who had only one foreigner in the line up in Ibrahim, enjoyed superior ball possession after the break and it was the Ghanaian striker who won the penalty on the hour.

The robust forward, who went clear of the last defender inside the box with a quickly-taken low freekick by Ujjal, was tripped from behind by Brothers rightback Rony as referee Abdul Hannan pointed to the spot.

Nazrul, however, needed two shots to get a legitimate goal. The national defender, who had scored an injury-time match winner in their 1-0 first-leg win against Rahmatganj and struck home a penalty against the same side in the 7-0 second-leg demolition, put the ball beyond the keeper from the spot but he was asked to re-kick for reasons unknown.

Nazrul made it even better the second time, sending Nizam the wrong way to seal the victory with his third league goal.

Amalesh Sen's decision to send striker Tipu in place of Abul and pushing Ibrahim back to the midfield at one stage looked suspect as the tired Abahani legs failed to cope with the new positions.

The Oranges took control but they lacked the cutting edge, allowing their rivals from Dhanmondi to hit back with another series of attacks without any avail.

Ibrahim set Emily with a superb square pass on the edge of the area in the 83rd but the leading Abahani scorer placed the ball just wide despite Nizam was wrong-footed.

Emily made amends to the mistake in the next minute when he cut the ball from right for an unmarked Tipu, whose side-footed shot hit the sidebar.

Brothers got a half chance to equalise four minutes from time when the Abahani defenders half-cleared a ball but Mamun's low drive outside from the area was kicked out by Nazrul to safety, as Biplab was not required to make any serious save in the end.

Eyes on Emily and Junior

Abahani will look to cement their place in the B. League table when they meet Brothers Union in today's crucial match.

ATN Bangla will telecast the match live from the Bangabandhu National Stadium from 4.30pm.

The two sides failed to break the deadlock in their first-leg clash and a draw this time would dent both sides' chances in one of the tightest title races ever in domestic football.

A win will put the sky-blues, who attempt to win their first major title in six seasons, back to the top but Brothers cannot afford any slip from now on.

"We can reach 38 points if we win all our matches," said Brothers manager Amer Khan, whose side have five matches in hand.

"It's tough and other contenders are likely to go beyond that mark. But we want to give it a try to keep our slim hopes alive," told Amer who rued the loss against Muktijoddha last week.

"That was our chance to make a comeback. We dominated that match but eventually lost following a mistake. The problem is that our bench is not very strong although our main team is fit to play," he added.

The Oranges, who will be looking forward to their first win in three games, will heavily rely on the firepower of Nigerian striker Junior, who has struck two hattricks to share the joint top-scorer's place with Mohammedan's Paul on 14 goals.

Young striker Tapu, who has not played a full match due to fitness problems, is expected to start as Junior's partner with Syed Nayeemuddin, the Gopibagh outfit's Indian coach who is tipped to take over the national team on conclusion of the inaugural professional league, set to stick to a 4-4-2 system.

Rumours have been rife that Brothers are not interested for the championship with their hopes very little and ready to help expectants Abahani and Mohammedan.

"Why should we do that? We still have a chance however small it is. I don't understand why the media, which blasted us for playing allegedly 'fixed-matches' when we won the Premiership, remain silent now as Abahani and Mohammedan are gearing up?" asked Amer. "The teams even submitted a joint letter against Brothers then. Now these teams are not talking against the two."

At the other end of the city at Dhanmondi, Abahani manager Satyajit Das Rupu was more concerned about his line-up.

"We are expected to make one change in the midfield but the defence and the attack will remain as the last game," said Rupu, whose side recorded two hard-fought wins in the previous outings after a 7-0 demolition of Rahamatganj.

Abahani, on 32 points from 15 ties, put end to their first-leg goal drought with national striker Emily getting back his scoring spree but the scene has also changed in the rear as the team conceded more goals.

Emily has scored seven goals from five second-leg matches including a hattrick to take his total tally to nine but it seems that the absence of Argentine defender Mariano Caporale has been a setback.

"Three out of four goals scored against us in the second leg were for defensive lapses. We have to get out of that. We are not in a position to drop points because we have only a three-point advantage over Mohammedan, who have played most of their big matches.

"So, every match is pressure for us. But its possible to beat a team like Brothers if our players can apply themselves in the field," added the former national midfielder.

Amalesh Sen, who took over from Argentine coach Diego Cruciani in the latter part of the first-leg, has guaranteed only one foreigner in the side in Ibrahim as Emily's partner up front.

Obi Mikel John's place at the right side is under threat from inform Abdullah Parvez, who has shown the aptitude to outsmart the Nigerian.

Reds' Super Sub Biddyut Saves the Day

A late strike by Ajmal Hossain Biddyut salvaged a lacklustre Muktijoddha with a solitary goal victory against Brothers Union in yesterday's B. League.

The Dhaka derby between two top teams at the Bangabandhu National Stadium was anything but flashy and Brothers dominated the better part of the proceedings.

However, substitute Biddyut separated the two sides ten minutes from time with his first touch of the game as the Reds returned to the top of the table with 30 points from 16 games.

Still, Abu Yusuf's side are not prepared to celebrate knowing their position is not consolidated with Abahani and Mohammedan chasing just one point adrift, having two and one matches in hand respectively.

Brothers meanwhile, all but gave up hopes of staying in contention following their second defeat to Muktijoddha in the season. The Oranges, who suffered their fourth defeat and have yet to win a big match, stuck to 23 points after 15 outings.

Muktijoddha once again left veterans Arman Mia and Alfaz Ahmed out of the squad and Kanchan, who got his second consecutive start, set up his striking partner Moni with a perfect cross after 14 minutes. But the Muktijoddha skipper's effort from the edge of the area was spectacularly punched out by Nizam at the Brothers goal.

Syed Nayeemuddin's boys picked up the game afterwards with Elijah Junior, top scorer of the competition with 14 goals, being inspirational. But the Nigerian striker's hard work went in vain as his teammates wasted a series of chances.

Monwar had the entire far post to send his shot after meeting a header by Junior on the half hour but the midfielder blasted his shot over the lone keeper from a tight angle. Two minutes later Junior's freekick from the left side of the box was dangerously curling when Titumir made a diving save to keep it at bay.

Junior then saw his partner Manju fluff two chances inside the first five minutes of the second half. Both the times, the striker failed to keep his shot on target and was immediately substituted by Tapu, whose first touch on the ball from seven yards went straight to goalkeeper Titumir after Shakil had done the spadework.

Muktijoddha got the match winner against run of play in the 80th minute when Maruf initiated a move down the middle. The midfielder picked Moni at the right flank where the Reds captain evaded Masud Rana's final charge and chipped the ball for Biddyut to nod home seconds after replacing Moroccan recruit Brahim.

Brothers almost got the equaliser a couple of minutes later but Tapu's header on a centre by Liton was palmed out by Titumir. The ball went on to hit the underside of the crossbar and dropped on the line before fullback Titu made the final clearance and ensure three points for Muktijoddha.

Junior Bails Brothers Out

Nigerian striker Elijah Junior won a 90th minute penalty and converted it to help Brothers Union snatch one point from Sheikh Russel in yesterday's Dhaka derby but the 1-1 draw at the Bangabandhu National Stadium dented both sides' title hopes in the B. League.

Just when Sheikh Russel looked like holding on to Touati Younes's first half goal and seal three points, the Oranges were awarded a penalty by referee Mansoor Azad after substitute defender Pradip Barua tripped Junior inside the box.

The Nigerian made no mistake to hammer the ball into the back of the net from the spot for his 14th goal, which placed him atop the scorers' list, just above Mohammedan's 13-goal Paul.

Despite the draw, Russel moved to the top with 26 points after 15 games but remained under the threat of being removed by at least two teams - Abahani and Muktijoddha - by the end of this week.

Syed Nayeemuddin's side on the other hand, wasted a golden comeback chance as they improved their collection to 23 points after 14 outings.

In a seesaw battle, Russel got the first chance when Younes set his fellow Moroccan midfielder Ighir in the third minute. But much to the disappointment of his teammates, the sliding Ighir failed to connect the ball in front of an open net.

At the other end, Jalaluddin came close to give Brothers lead after ten minutes but his diving header on a superb centre by Masud Rana missed the mark for inches.

Two minutes later, Russel escaped another Brothers assault as Mamun's chipped effort came off the crossbar.

Russel reasserted soon but Bulbul failed to read Ighir's pass inside the box midway through the first half before they and went ahead in the 34th minute through Younes, who celebrated his return to the side after a one-match suspension with his sixth league goal.

Younes, dashing down the middle with a through from Moroccan midfielder Saad, shrugged off a challenge by Rony and drilled a low drive into the right hand post of Nizam, who appeared to be blind-sighted by his teammates.

The Brothers keeper, however, pulled off two fine saves in the second half when he palmed over a 30-yarder by Ighir before going full stretch to deny Tanvir's shot.

Wajed Gazi's boys suddenly went on the defensive, leaving Younes as the lone striker after Bulbul was taken off for Pradip.

This allowed Brothers to press hard and almost score the equaliser in the 75th minute but for fullback Aminul's goalline save on a header by Shakil during a corner.

The pressure finally told in the dying moments as Pradip committed the unpardonable mistake in a bid to stop Junior and conceded the spotkick.

Brothers' Comeback Hopes Dashed

Four bottom-half teams in the B. League shared points on the second day of the second leg as both matches in Dhaka and Khulna ended in identical 1-1 draws yesterday.

Brothers Union's bid to return to the title race suffered another blow when they failed to beat Farashganj for the second time in the competition after a goalless draw in the first leg.

Nigerian striker Elijah Junior converted a 13-minute penalty after to give the Oranges lead after Farashganj centre-back and captain Faisal tripped Shakil inside the area.

Syed Nayeemuddin's side, however, failed to hold on to the early advantage as the riversiders levelled on the stroke of the half hour with debutant African striker Opara Luxson Puma scoring with a placing shot after a combined attack. Puma came close to score against seconds before half time but Nizam made a fine save at the Brothers goal.

Brothers had to remain satisfied with 16 points from 11 outings as a spectacular header by Junior, the second highest scorer with eight goals, was denied by substitute goalie Azam in the last minute.

Farashganj, third from bottom, now have 11 points after as many rounds.

In a battle of Abahanis at the Khulna Stadium, the home side failed to take revenge of their first-leg loss in the Chittagong trip.

Tajul put Khulna Abahani ahead after 33 minutes but Liberian forward Dolly Abraham's 41-minute strike secured Chittagong Abahani's only draw in the league so far. The visitors had won 2-0 when they clashed in the port city.

On 11 points, Khulna Abahani edged Farashganj by virtue of a better goal difference while Chittagong Abahani remained just above the base of the table with ten points.

Brothers Ride on Junior Treble

Elijah Junior slammed a hattrick as Brothers Union brushed aside basement side Rahamatganj 6-2 in both sides' ultimate first-leg match in the B. League yesterday.

Apart from the Nigerian striker's three goals, Faisal Mahmud struck twice and Monwar added the other for the defending two-time Premier League champions, who completed half of the league on 15 points.

The hapless Rahamatganj, who reduced the arrears through Apu and Shoeb before Milon missed an injury time penalty, stuck to two points after ten rounds.

The Oranges, virtually out of the title race, climbed to fifth place with their overall fourth win in ten outings but Syed Nayeemuddin's side could slip one place below if Wednesday's match between Arambagh and Chittagong Mohammedan does not end in a draw.

Brothers who came to the game on the back of a 1-0 loss to Mohammedan, began brightly and Faisal cut the ball back from left to set up the opener after 13 minutes. Junior was not properly marked and the nimble-footed Junior effortlessly put an angular shot past goalkeeper Anwarul.

Two minutes later, Junior complimented Faisal with a square pass as the local midfielder picked the ball outside the area and finished from inside with a low drive to double the lead.

Junior was again on target in the 22nd minute when he drilled the ball home from a melee after captain Masud Rana initiated a flowing move down the left.

There was no respite for the old-Dhaka outfit as Faisal got his second goal in the ten minutes later, the unmarked midfielder pushing in a pass from Monwar who made it 5-0 in the 38th minute after rounding off a rival defender and Anwarul, who returned to the Rahamatganj goal after a long lay-off due to injury.

Run ragged by their mighty opponents, Rahamatganj pulled one back four minutes from the break when Apu's angled drive on a cross from Hanif gave Nizam no chance at the Brothers goal.

In a rather lacklustre second half, Junior completed the third treble of the league, after Muktijoddha's Alfaz and Mohammedan captain Paul (double hattrick), on the hour when the Nigerian chased a through by Mamun from their own half, dribbled past Jewel Rana and neatly put the ball beyond substitute goalie Amjad for his seventh league goal.

Shoeb netted the second goal for Rahamatganj in the 78th minute and they could have got their third in the stoppage time but Milon, who earned a penalty after being fouled by Lajuk, saw his spotkick saved by a diving Nizam.

Dhaka Giants Register Wins

Nigerian Paul Mwachhukwu struck twice as Mohammedan Sporting Club came from one goal down to secure a 3-1 victory against Farashganj Sporting Club in a B. League match at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.

But their Chittagong namesake suffered a 1-0 defeat against another Dhaka giant, Brothers Union, at the MA Aziz Stadium in their home game.

Mehdi Hasan Tapu netted the all-important goal for the traditional all orange in the 55th minute. The victory took the Brothers tally to 12 points in eight matches while Chittagong Mohammedan remained on eleven points from same number of outings.

On the other hand the day's success improved Dhaka Mohammedan tally to14 points and Farashganj stayed on nine points from eight outings.

In Dhaka, spirited Farashganj drew the early blood when Mohammad Robin capitalised a one-to-one move with Mohammad Ali in the 19th minute with a stunning right-footer from the middle of the box.

The same duo was close in the 39th minute to double the margin but Mohammedan Nigerian custodian Paul James saved Ali's shot with a brilliant diving effort.

After five minutes Farashganj however conceded a penalty when Riyad Mohammad brought down opponents striker Ariful Kabir Forhad in the danger zone and leading goal-scorer Paul Mwachhukwu made no mistake to convert the spot-kick to level the score. Paul then produced a left-footed side volley in the 56th minute on a throw-in from his compatriot Peter Odafe. It was his tenth goal in the tournament.

Forhad sealed the margin for the winners in the 80th minute by a left-footed angular shot from top of the D-box utilizing a Mithu through pass.

Brothers Hold Abahani, Muktijoddha Draw at Khulna

Abahani and Brothers Union spent 90 scoreless minutes on the pitch to share points in yesterday's heavyweight B. League clash at the Bangabandhu National Stadium.

Abahani's third draw in seven games pushed Diego Cruciani's unbeaten side to 15 points, level with Sheikh Russel and Muktijoddha atop of the table with the latter playing one game more.

Muktijoddha failed to grab solo lead as they were held 1-1 at Khulna Abahani also yesterday.

Alfaz Ahmed's fourth league goal put thmuktijoddha, soccere visitors ahead on the half hour at the Khulna Stadium but the Red's lead was short lived as GM Mamun fired the equaliser ten minutes later for Khulna Abahani.

The hosts increased their collection to seven points after as many games as Muktijoddha remained winless outside Dhaka in the competition having earlier lost away at Chittagong Mohammedan.

In Dhaka, the two sides produced a dull first period before a poor crowd but the game came alive after the break with forays and counter forays.

After an equal exchange, the best chance fell to Syed Naymuddin's boys midway through the first half when Nigerian striker Junior's through helped Manju beat an offside trap but his low drive at the near post was saved one-handed by sky-blues keeper Biplab.

Biplab, who has conceded just one goal so far in the competition, denied Junior's effort on the half hour before Abahani threatened to score. However, Oranges centre-back Shuvra's timely interception kept Argentine forward Parodi at bay.

Nazrul came close in the first half injury time but the tall Abahani central defender saw his header on a corner hit the top of the crossbar before going out.

Abahani, who started with a 4-3-3 formation, switched to a four-man midfield after the break to get a stranglehold and Ibrahim forced a fine save by Nizam, playing first time at the Brothers goal this season, a minute after the resumption.

Abahani dominated the show till the hour but their striking force once again failed to put the ageing rival defenders under pressure.

In the last 30 minutes, both the backlines worked overtime and the sky-blues showed nerves in absence of Argentine defender Mariano Caporale.

It was Junior whose speed and skill during counter attacks proved too much for Pradip -- who replaced Caporale -- and the Nigerian created ample chances on breaks.

However, Manju once again weakly shot at Biplab who kept substitute Shakil's bending left-footed volley out of his far post. Junior threatened twice inside six minutes, but his curling chip from a tight angle went just wide before a cross was headed out by Pradip from the goalmouth for a corner.

Despite opening better opportunities, Abahani were stopped by their old goalkeeper Nizam who began a series of saves with a punch to clear Siraji's dangerous cross towards an unmarked Joy.

Nizam dived full stretch to pull off a one-handed save on Ibrahim's powerful volley on one-on-one after Jewel Rana's lapse inside the box had set the Ghanaian. Nazrul then failed to beat his old teammate after being left unguarded during a corner with three minutes remaining on the clock.

Substitute Zahed fluffed Abahani's last and perhaps the best chance on the stroke of the final whistle when the substitute midfielder, who had only Nizam to beat with a through from Pranotosh, volleyed over Nizam's crossbar.

Cruciani admitted that his more attacking formation did not work at the start.

"I changed to 4-4-2 after the break and the possession improved. The defence was under pressure in absence of Caporale as there was lack of understanding between Pradip and Nazrul," said Cruciani who rued the missed chances.

"But we played against a team who have been playing better match by match. They did not deserve to lose to Muktijoddha and looked fine today. This team is going to beat many teams in the rest of the league," he added.

Nayeemuddin gladly accepted the compliments and said Brothers should have won.

"Like the last match, we wasted many, many chances. The young boys have really been concentrating on their task and it a result of their efforts. Abahani are a strong team but looked like having an off-day against us," added the former Indian coach, who has yet to lose a match to Cruciani.

Under him, the Indian national team drew 1-1 with Bangladesh in the group stage before winning the final 2-0 in the SAFF Football Championship in Pakistan in December 2005.

Brothers Union and Khulna Abahani Win Their Opening B. League Matches

Last season's Premier League champions Brothers Union made a flying start in their B. League opener with a convincing 3-0 win over Chittagong Abahani Ltd at Bangabandhu National Stadium (BNS) Saturday.

Nigerian recruit Elijab Obag Bemino Junior struck twice while Ashraful Qader Manju netted one for Bothers Union.

Though Dhaka Abahani and Chittagong Abahani had not tasted success, Khulna Abahani Krira Chakra made a winning note with a 2-0 win over Rahmatganj Muslim Friends Society at Khulna Stadium.

Proshanto and Mamun score each scored for Khulna Abahani.

At the BNS, the visitors Chittagong Abahani bravely fought against giant Brothers Union in the first half, but they later failed to maintain their show in the ways they played before the breather.

Bemino Junior put Brothers ahead in the 37th minute from a close range after getting a Faisal Mahmud cross from the left while Nigerian striker doubled the margin in the 65th minute after having Chittagong Abahani's defence laps.

Brothers sealed the victory with a fine combination by Mohammedan's former pair Faisal and Manju, who headed home a Faisal cross from the left.

Though, Brother Union left the field with the full three points, but the Gopibagh outfit would miss the service of medio Manwar Hossain in next two matches as Manwar was sent off after being booked for the second time in the 80th minute.

At Khulna, both the team started to play cautiously, but Khulna Abahani spoiled two sitters in the first half with striker Mamun missing the target on both the occasions.

Rahmatganj also launched a few planned attacks, but they could not overcome the Abahani defence barrier.

Proshanto brought the first blood for Abahani with an angular shot that found the net in the 42nd minute after getting a thorough pass from Mamun and wrote his name in the history of B. League as the first scorer.

After the breather, both the teams entertained a strong crowd at the local bowl with their planned games.

Mamun doubled the margin for Abahani with a powerful shot after 66 minutes as the striker did not mistake to send the ball home when a rebounder came in his way.

Manjurul after being set up by Tajul took a powerful shot that was blocked by Rahmatganj goalie Anwar and went to Mamun, whose clever shot kissed the opponents' net.