Abahani stutter, but stay on top

League leaders Abahani were jolted in the JB Bangladesh Premier League yesterday, being held to a goalless draw by Brothers Union at the MA Aziz Stadium in Chittagong yesterday.

However, despite a sixth draw from 16 matches, the Sky Blues were still on top of the 12-team table with 36 points, five points ahead of second-placed Chittagong Abahani, while Brothers were sixth with 22 points from 16 outings.

Fresh from a 6-1 win over Muktijoddha Sangsad, four-time professional league champions Abahani appeared confident of extending their six-match winning streak but failed to take the lead as their misfiring forwards painted the portrait of the game.

Abahani dominated the match with the more possession and created plenty of scoring chances either side of the break, but Nigerian Sunday Chizoba, Englishman Lee Tuck and local booter Hemanta Vincent Biswas struggled to break the deadlock, courtesy of their poor finishing.

After the half-hour mark, Abahani had three scoring chances in the span of five minutes as English midfielder Jonathan David worked hard and created one chance after another. However, Hemanta and Sunday wasted all three chances from inside the box.

Abahani were then deprived of a lead when Lee Tuck rattled the post in stoppage time of the first half, before driving wide from inside the box in the 63rd minute. Sunday then failed to connect on a low cross from Lee from close range.

Abahani's final chance came three minutes from time when Hemanta danced past two players and entered the box with only the goalkeeper to beat. However, the midfielder drove wide to leave the Sky Blues disappointed yet again.

In the first match of the day, Rahmatganj MFS continued their gradual fall from the title race as the Old Dhaka outfit played out a goalless draw against Arambagh KS. Their first draw in the second phase of the league means that Rahmatganj -- who were in a close race along with the two Abahanis at the close of the first phase -- have secured only four points from their last five matches.

However, Rahmatganj were lucky enough to secure one point from Arambagh as Nigerian Kester Akon squandered a penalty kick in the 77th minute to deprive Arambagh from posting their fifth victory in the league.

Having played 16 matches each, Rahmatganj and Arambagh were at the fourth and seventh with 26 and 21 points respectively.