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Embers of a once raging fire

Sports Reporter
Mohammedan Sporting Club pulled off a thrilling 2-1 win against bitter rivals Abahani in a Green Delta Insurance Premier Division Hockey League match at the Maulana Bhasani Hockey Stadium
yesterday.
It was a rare success for the once-famous Black and Whites against the Sky Blues against the backdrop of so many failures in hockey and other the increasingly domineering presence of football and cricket. While Abahani have maintained their supremacy in domestic sport, Mohammedan suffered a steep slide, failing to win a football league title since 2002, a cricket league glory since 2009 and a hockey league trophy since 2012.
More interestingly, Mohammedan's last wins against Abahani in Dhaka derbies - the emotional component of which is now a thing of the past - was a 1-0 football win in 2015, an eight-wicket victory in the Dhaka Premier Cricket League in 2016 and a 3-2 triumph in hockey in 2012.
And in that context, yesterday's victory in front of barely 500 diehard fans was a reversal of a trend that turned the once-riveting battle into a mere game. The match, a first between the two
teams in two years, however provided the entertainment it was once famous for - loads of excitement, arguments, reviews of umpires' decisions on the pitch and a last-gasp winner.
It is not that Mohammedan have formed a strong team, but instead they rode on their four quality Indian recruits to overcome their bitter rivals.
With three minutes of regulation time left, Mohammedan squandered their seventh penalty corner, giving all indications that the game was heading for a 1-1 draw. But Mohammedan earned their eighth penalty corner in the penultimate minute. This time, defender Narender Kumar sent the Mohammedan supporters into ecstasy, converting it with a powerful hit. However, the watching audience and even a few Mohammedan officials claimed after the game that Arvinder Singh, a penalty corner specialist, scored the winner.
Both teams came into the match on the back of eight straight wins but Mohammedan looked more forceful throughout as they dominated their archrivals and created more opportunities than Abahani, who curiously lacked confidence.
Defender Imran Hasan Pintoo gave Mohammedan the lead in the 24th minute with a fierce hit after the initial attempt from the penalty comer was well blocked. Abahani hit back in the second half with a clever strike from
Arshad Hossain after Bikash Pillai and Ahmed Tajuddin narrowly missed the target twice.
Although Mohammedan allowed a lot of space in the midfield in their previous matches, national team captain Rasel Mahmud Jimmy along with veteran Kamruzzaman Rana did well against Abahani and played key roles in dominating the area.
The ninth straight victory pushed the Black and Whites to the top of the 12-team table along with holders Dhaka Mariners Young's Club with 27 points each, three ahead of Abahani who are in second place after their first defeat in nine matches.
"We could not beat Abahani in the previous season [2016] but I can recall that we beat Abahani 3-2 in the Super League in 2012 on way to clinching the title," said Mohammedan SC manager Ariftil Haque Prince after the exciting victory.
"Mohammedan played better than us and they deserved the victory," said Abahani coach Mahbub Harun. "Abahani could not play their natural game and our foreign players could not shine. The players were under pressure."
"We played as a team and dominated the match. The players gave 200 per cent effort to win the match. I think this victory will inspire us to do well in the Super League," said Mohammedan coach Moududur Rahman Shuvo.