Feni Soccer Club, last season's runners-up,

came from behind to hold Abahani to a 1-1 draw in their KFC Independence Cup encounter at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.

Substitute Chowmrin Rakhain canceled out a 45-minute strike by Sana Camara five minutes from time to give Feni Soccer something to cheer about against the Sky Blues who consisted of 10 national players apart from a couple of quality foreign players.

Feni Soccer comparatively played well in the first half with former Abahani hitman Twum Frank of Ghana exposing the four-man backline marshalled by national defenders Wali Faisal, Ariful Islam, Tapu Barman and Shakil Ahmed time and again but Abahani goalkeeper Sultan Ahmed Shakil thwarted two attempts from point-blank range.

However, Shakil was to blame for the equaliser as the advancing goalkeeper brought down Twum Frank inside the box before former Abahani winger Chowmrin converted from the spot.

Abahani deployed three attackers -Nigerian Sunday Chizoba, English Lee tuck and Senegalese Camara - who were mostly off colour in term of availing opportunities. There was also a lack of cohesion in the midfield, which failed to produce good passes to forwards throughout the match.

Feni could have taken the lead in the seventh minute but Akbar Hossain Ridon, snatching the ball from defender Ariful, struck straight at the goalkeeper while a close-range header from Guinean Camara Mahadou was brilliantly saved.

Abahani tried to launch attacks from both flanks and right-back Shakil Ahmed put a nice ball for Camara inside the box with goalkeeper Osman Gani to beat, but defender Zahirul Islam suddenly cleared the ball from behind to save Feni from a goal in the 37th minute. However seven minutes later Camara did not make a mistake and tapped home a square-pass from Jibon.

After resumption, Abahani kept pressing the opponents amid a drizzle and created a few good chances but neither Sunday nor Tuck availed those chances to double the lead, rather they had to concede the equaliser five minutes from time.

Sunday found a nice chance to restore the lead in the dying minute but goalkeeper Osman made a nice diving save to keep smiles on the faces of Feni Soccer intact.