Three Gambian recruits got on the scoresheet as Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club maintained their perfect record with an impressive 4-2 win against Sheikh Russel KC in the Bangladesh Premier League at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.
Pa Omar Jobe, the league’s top-scorer now with seven goals, scored twice while his compatriots Sulayman Sillah and Solomon King Kanform scored one apiece as the three-time champions continued their impressive run with five wins out of five, helping the team to second position on the table with 15 points.
Sheikh Jamal threatened to take the lead early with the two tall forwards — Sillah and Omar Jobe — proving a handful for the defence line of the one-time champions.
They were denied by the woodwork twice, with Valijonov Otabek and Nurul Absar rattling the crossbar while Ashraful Islam Rana kept out a couple of shots from the two forwards.
The national team keeper, however, helped Sheikh Jamal get the lead on 38 minutes after he failed to hold on to a harmless attempt from Sillah, who dispossessed defender Didarul Islam on the edge of the box before his shot at goal.
Omar Jobe doubled the lead on the stroke of half-time with a powerful attempt following a long-ball from Otabek.
Omar Jobe made it 3-0 before the hour-mark from a rebound but a slightly contentious goal 10 minutes later gave Sheikh Russel a glimmer of hope.
Obi Monroe’s glancing header on a corner from Bakhtiyar Duishobekov barely crossed the goalline, but the referee awarded the goal. However, Solomon King restored Sheikh Jamal’s three-goal advantage on 74 minutes with a spot-kick to all but seal the fate of the match.
Duishobekov scored from the spot on 82 minutes to make the scoreline a little more respectable for Sheikh Russel, who were missing their coach Saiful Bari Titu at the dugout for the second match in succession due to illness.
The Dhanmondi giants are only three points behind defending champions Bashundhara Kings, the only other team with a perfect record with six wins out of six.
Sheikh Russel, on the other hand, dropped to fourth position with 13 points from six matches following their first defeat of the campaign.
thedailystar.net