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Usha end 13-yearwait

Sports Reporter
Usha Krira Chakra ended a 13-year cup title drought in style when they
staged a spectacular come-from-behind 3-2 win over Abahani in the Walton Club Cup Hockey final at the Maulana Bhasani Hockey Stadium yesterday.
The old town outfit who last won the traditional season's curtainraising tournament in 1999 came tantalisingly close to winning the trophy two year's back but were robbed in a 'disputed final' against Mohammedan.
This time however it was a fair and highly entertaining game under a stifling summer sun and more importantly the creeping tension in the middle never turned
ugly which has often been the case in domestic hockey.
Pakistani Alim Billal and Mohammad Mudassar put Ahahani ahead before Usha's Pakistani trio of Mohammad Imran, Selim Khalid and Ehsan Ulllah Khan punched back for glory in a final witnessed by sparse yet vocal fans.
Hot on the heels of an exciting tiebreak win over archrivals Mohammedan in the semifinal, Abahani began their quest for a third club cup on a bright note against Usha, who stormed into the final with a 9-2 mauling of Sonali Bank in the other semi. The men in yellow dominated the first half and created some good chances with their striking trio of Modassar, Pushkor Khisa Mimo and Hasan Jubair Niloy dictating terms.
After squandering the first penalty corner, Abahani went ahead by converting the second penalty corner in the 18th minute with Alim Billal hitting a fierce low drive.
But they struggled to keep the momentum and Usha slowly but steadily started to impose their authority.
Usha came close twice in the latter part of the first half but Abahani goalkeeper Zahid Hossain, hero of their win over Mohammedan, brilliantly foiled a fiercely driven penalty corner from Ehasan Ullah while Pakistani Selim sent the ball wide despite beating goalkeeper Zahid.
After the resumption, Usha dominated the game with better movements from midfielders Shahidullah Titu, Mosharraf Hossain Kuti, Pakistani Shahbaz Ali and Sarwar
Hossain. But Abahani doubled the lead from a counter-attack three minutes into the second half.
Availing a clearance from defence, Niloy raced down the right flank to enter the box before cutting it back for the unmarked Modassar who tapped the ball in from a handshaking distance.
Abahani appeared to run out of gas with the progress of the match, allowing Usha to launch waves of attacks down the left flank and they struck two goals within three minutes to level the margin.
After receiving a nice through pass from Shahidullah Tipu, Selim Khalid pushed it for Mohammad Imran inside the box who hit the board from close range in the 42nd minute while Selim Khalid emulated
DHAKA THURSDAY
JUNE 14,2012
E-MAIL: sports@thedailystar.net
his compatriot s feat just two minuteslater.
Riding on momentum, Usha got the decisive penalty corner after Abahani's defender Yeamin pushed Imran in the forbidden zone and Ehsan Uliah stepped up to covert it smartly in the 55 th minute.
“The players were a bit nervous at the start. May be they were thinking about my presence in the dugout. But they stuck to the plan in the second half and I'm very happy with their performance," said the former star Pakistani player Tahir Zaman, who took charge of Usha as coach the day before the final.
Tahir also said it was a good game between the two sides but Abahani could not cope with their pace in the last 20 minutes.