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Rony shoots Ctg Abahani into final

Eventful match sees two penalties, one red card and a squabble

Sports Reporter
Defending champions Chittagong Abahani advanced into the final of the Walton Independence Cup with a single-goal
win over giant-killers Rahmatganj at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.
Forward Shakhawat Hossain Rony scored the all-important goal from the spot in the first-halfs stoppage time of the eventful second semifinal, which was halted for nearly 10 minutes owing to Rahmatganj's protestations about the penalty.
Rahmatganj coach Kamal Babu entered the pitch to talk to referee Sujit Bannerjee, who however stuck to his decision to award the penalty in favour of the holders. Babu and Chittagong Abahani player Mamunul Islam exchanged heated words and the referee ordered Babu to leave the ground but later withdrew his decision. Rahmatganj earned a penalty too, but they failed to convert it. The Old Dhaka outfit also had one of their players sent off.
"It was not a penalty because the player stopped the ball with his chest," claimed Babu, but Mojammel Hossain Nira, the man who was adjudged to have conceded the penalty, apparently admitted that he stopped the ball with his chest as well as the upper-side of his hand at the goalline.
"I entered the pitch to calm the agitated players," said Babu, who also signaled his charges to come out of the pitch.
“Chittagong Abahani are a good side and they deserve the victory, but we also fought neck-and-neck till the last minute," added Babu.
Chittagong Abahani coach Zulfiker Mahmud Titu, however, did not want to make any comment on the issue, but he was happy with the performance of his charges.
"I was worried about the players' fatigue as some of them played both the Independence Cup and the AFC Cup playoffs within a short period of time. But the boys showed their ability, agility and power till the last minute and came out with a victory. I am really happy and satisfied with their performance," said Mintu, who was made the head coach in the latter part of the recently-concluded premier league.
Rahmatganj could have taken the lead in the 11th minute, but Mohammad Helal drove miles off target following Chittagong Abahani goal-
keeper Ashraful Islam Rana's failure to grip a cross while Jafar Iqbal frustrated the port city side in the following minute by heading a cross from Abdullah over the crossbar.
Rahmatganj conceded the lead two minutes into the added-on time of the first half when goalkeeper Colam Mustafa failed to grip a regulation cross from Sushanta Tripura. As the ball was heading towards the far post, Nira stopped it with his chest and hand. Rony converted the spot-kick to give the port city side the lead going into the break.
The Old Dhaka outfit pressed hard for the equaliser after the break and they earned a penalty in the 74th minute when Shamim Reza was badly tackled by Sohel Rana inside the danger zone. Mohammad Elias's shot, however, was blocked by Cittagong Abahani goalkeeper Rana diving to his right.
Rahmatganj were reduced to 10 men after defender Saddam Hossain picked up his second yellow card allowing the opposition to control the match. Chittagong Abahani opened up the Rahmatganj defence twice in the dying minutes, but Abdullah and Rony failed to beat the goalkeeper.
The final between Chittagong Abahani and Arambagh will take place on Saturday.