Abahani edge past bankers

Defending champions Abahani survived a scare in the Green Delta Insurance Premier Division Hockey League as they came from behind to post a 4-3 win over Sonali Bank at the Maulana Bhasani Hockey Stadium yesterday.

The fifth win in seven matches has put Abahani temporarily on top of the table with 17 points, one more than Usha KC and Dhaka Mariner Youngs Club, with the latter thrashing Azad SC by 8-0 goals in the other match yesterday. Usha, however, have played a match less than Abahani. 

Sonali Bank, who had come into the match on the back of a 1-2 defeat against Mariners, stunned the Sky Blues in the very first minute with a strike from Taher Ali but Toushiq Arshad levelled the margin in the 20th minute converting a penalty corner.

Seven minutes later, Romman Sarker gave Abahani the lead before Sonali Bank staged a strong comeback to equalise through Toushiq Ahmed in the 31st minute.  

Shakeel Abbasi restored Abahani's lead in the 49th minute before his compatriot Mohammad Irfan widened the margin ten minutes later.

However Sonali Bank did not give up and reduced the arrears in the 66th minute through a strike from Ehsanulllah Khan.