Mohammedan coach Emeka Euzeigo (R) cheers on as his charges come from behind to draw 1-1 against archrivals Aabahni in their Bangladesh Premier League encounter at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday. Photo: STAR

There-time champions Abahani were held to a 1-1 draw by archrivals Mohammedan SC in their Bangladesh Premier League encounter at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday. The Sky Blues opened the scoring a minute before the break, thanks to a Lucky Paul slap-in before Basden Wilcox headed in the equaliser on the hour mark to snatch a valuable point for the Black and Whites. The draw put Abahani in second place on the points table with seven points from three matches, two behind pace-setters Muktijoddha Sangsad while Mohammedan have four points from two matches.
The encounters between the two archrivals, despite their flagging fortunes and the disparaging difference in quality, always live up to the billing of tight affairs and so was the case yesterday at the Big Bowl, before some 3000 or so spectators who shouted at the top of their voice to cheer and jeer on the teams. Mohammedan, the underdogs on paper, started the game livelier as they made a number of inroads at the Abahani defence within the first quarter of an hour. Nigerian striker Wilcox's's feeble grounder on the fifth minute was tipped for a corner for a corner by Abahani goalkeeper Shahidul Alam Sohel and five minutes later, the young goalie dived to his right to thwart a powerful shot from the same striker.
Mohammedan had a loud appeal for a penalty in the 16th minute when striker Edozue Ochendu was pulled down inside the box, but the referee waved play on. After weathering the initial burst, Abahani slowly asserted some control on the midfield and mustered their first shot on target through Awudu Ibrahim on the 34th minute, which was nervously parried away by Mohammedan goalkeeper Himel. Much against the run of play, Abahani found the opening goal in the 44th minute, when Nasirul Islam's low cross from the right was threaded to the path of Lucky Paul in front of goal and the Nigerian obliged by placing it at the back of the net.
Abahani came close to doubling the lead in the 58th minute, but Twum Frank's header came rasping off the upright. However, Mohammedan hit on the counter attack two minutes later as Wahed headed in a long ball to Wilcox at the edge of the six yard box and the Nigerian striker headed in past the keeper to restore parity.
Abahani piled up pressure in the dying minutes and twice came close to scoring, but the Mohammedan keeper stood tall to deny the Sky Blues of their third win in a row.
And as has become the custom of the league, both coaches blamed the referee for not being able to win the match. The Abahani coach Ali Akbar Purmoslemi was more vocal on the issue as he said, “Mohammedan played a very physical game. The referee helped physical play, not technical play.”
Mohammedan coach Emeka Euzeigo refuted Akbar's claim by saying that football is a body-contact game and physical prowess is an essential tool for the modern day game. Emeka was clearly the happier of the two coaches as he said his charges put their best performance of the season so far against their archrivals.

TEAMS
Abahani: Sohel (GK), Nasir, Waly, Samad, Arman (Mamun), Zahid (Touhid), Pranotosh (C), Frank, Sujon, Ibrahim, Paul
Mohammedan: Himel (GK), Rajani, Munna (C), Parvez (Mobarak), Wahed (Rony), Yasin, Sohel, Johnson, Ochendo, Wilcox, Kelechi