A sizzling performance from 19-year old Jewel Rana and the never-say-die approach from Mohammedan SC enabled them to close the gap at the top after their hard fought 2-1 win over Team BJMC at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday. Mohammedan now trail the Manyavar Bangladesh Premier League leaders Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club by just one point.
The result from the black and whites meant they accumulate 26 points after 12 matches and spice up the league by maintaining pressure on Jamal, while BJMC remained eighth with only nine points.
The magical season for Jewel continued as the youngster first set up teammate Ismael Bangoura for the equaliser before snatching the winner in the dying minutes to spill water on Eleta Kingsley’s lone strike for BJMC.
However, the result does not reflect the threat BJMC possessed in the first-half of the game. Mohammedan custodian Ashraful Haque Rana made all the difference before the breather and if it wasn’t for his heroic quadruple saves, the black and whites would have been trailing by a minimum of three goals at half-time.
Ashraful showed excellent skills in denying Samson Iliasu in the 17th minute, moments after dealing with a dangerous cross from Faysal Ahmed. His tally of saves extended in the 33rd minute when Jakir Hossain Ziku’s close-range shot was returned with great reflex.
However, the Mohammedan goalkeeper was finally beaten in the 59th minute. A defence splitting through pass by Samson Iliasu from almost halfway reached Eleta who broke into the penalty area and slotted home into the far post to hand BJMC the anticipated lead.
Ashraful made another superb one-on-one save in the 68th minute to deny Nabib Newaz Jibon and keep Mohammedan in the hunt.
Bangoura headed in the equaliser in the 79th minute on Jewel’s delivery from the left flank before the juvenile national winger gave the crowd immense joy by scoring the winner in the 87th minute by heading home on Cameroonian midfielder Belinga Amabara’s corner.