Refereeing in focus when Kings make it through Sheikh Jamal scare
Little league leaders Bashundhara Kings dropped their 1st tips of the Bangladesh Premier League season yesterday, nevertheless they could consider themselves extremely lucky to have recently come out with a point in controversial circumstances found in a goalless pull against title-challengers Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club at the Bangabandhu National Stadium.
The defending champions, who won all seven of their previous suits comfortably, came up against a Sheikh Jamal side motivated to stop them within their tracks. The latter almost came up with a crucial success, but also for a disallowed goal right by the end of the match.
The match had very little goalmouth action, with neither side managing to effectively breach the other's defence. The one celebration that Sheikh Jamal assumed they had efficiently performed that was when veteran winger Zahid Hossain, on as a second-half substitute, threaded an excellent through ball for a galloping Pa Omar Jobe.
The Gambian forward, who has recently scored eight times in the league, showed his composure as he wriggled past Kings defender Topu Barman before inserting the ball at the far corner of the web past a diving Anisur Rahman at Kings goal.
Just as Jobe ran away to celebrate the target -- a potential winner in 88 minutes, the referee blew his whistle, judging Jobe to have fouled Topu even as the assistant referee made no notion of any specific infringement.
This is a top-of-the-table clash and a whole lot was riding on the result, and understandably the Sheikh Jamal players and officials were furious at your choice.
"If there is any foul there, it should have been Topu committing the foul. The assistant referee, who possessed clear view of the incident, pointed to an objective while the referee, who had his back again to the incident, gave it as a foul," Sheikh Jamal coach Shafiqul Islam Manik advised reporters following the match.
"Referees do make mistakes, but I think that one was intentional. We've a team worth fighting for the subject but these types of decisions will surely impact on the competition," the former national team player alleged.
Later Manik appeared at the press package with the golf club officials and read out a statement, telling that they would appeal against your choice and the overall standard of refereeing, reiterating that this particular decision was to undermine them found in the title-race.
This was not the 1st time, though, that refereeing has been placed on the dock during this league, with Bashundhara Kings getting the rub of the green on several occasion, according for some coaches and officials.
While the consequence kept Kings firmly at the top with 22 points from eight suits, Sheikh Jamal slipped to third posture with 17 items from seven matches.
ABAHANI THE BIG GAINERS
The big beneficiaries of the effect were six-time champions Abahani, who built up for a few lost ground with a 4-0 win over Arambagh KS at the Birshreshtha Matiur Rahman Stadium in Munshiganj.
Francisco Torres scored twice found in the first one half before Masih Saighani and Dipok Roy scored two goals due to the Sky Blues moved to second location with 18 details from eight fits, keeping Arambagh rooted at the bottom without a point from seven complements.
SAIF BEAT RUSSEL 2-1
Saif Sporting Club came from a goal right down to beat Sheikh Russel 2-1 in the day's third match at the BNS.
Mohammad Abdullah had offered Russel the lead on the 20th minute, but second-1 / 2 goals from Riyadul Hasan Rafi and Sirojiuddin Rakhmatullaev helped Saif to a much-needed get, moving them to 13 points from seven suits in 5th position while Russel remained just above them with 16 points from eight matches.
