Abahani Limited finished off the preliminary phase of the AFC Cup with a 2-1 home victory over Club Eagle of Maldives on Wednesday.
Held at the Sylhet Stadium, Abahani dominated most of the 90 minutes game when Cornelius Stewart and Danilo Augustin scored one goal each to steer the home team to the second phase of the AFC Cup.
Maldives team, who tried hard, could reduce one goal through their captain Ahmed Rezuvan scoring on 63rd minute.
Abahani Limited onset right after the kick off and put the visitors Club Eagle under tremendous pressure with series of attacks and also produced at least four scoring chances inside 15 minutes but could utilise only one to take lead.
Cornelius Stewart gave the hosts lead on 15th minute into the opening 45 minutes game.
Abahani, after taking the lead on 15th minute created some clear chances and could have gone for half time with 1-0 lead. But the forwards failed to convert any fo the close range chances to increase the margin.
Abahani, who just sqweesed the Eagle from the opening whistle and rushed into opponents danger area and produced some good opportunities, made the breakthrough on 15th minute through Cornelius Stewart.
Ojukwu, the attacking third on his Abahani debut, floated a right side cross and Stuart nodding the ball with an specteculer header into the top corner of the far post (1-0).
Eagle, who played most of the time with counter attack strategy, came out in he second half to build up their game and threatened very often to equalise the margin.
Abahani also went very closer to increase their lead but the forwards were too shaky to capitalise the opportunities to promote the team to a bigger margin win.
Eagle, who struggled much in the first half and worked hard to bounce back, finally levelled the margin on 63rd.
Eagle following a 60th minute goal, which was cancelled for off-side, made the tally 1-1 with captain Ahmed Rezuvan making an excellent finish of a long range pin-pointed free kick from Petrunin on 63rd.
Both teams went close, before the Maldives captain picked up a free kick in the box and wriggled past two defenders to finish by poking a equalizer.
However, when it looked that Abahani is going to pay for the strikers failures, as the match was going to end on a one all draw, Danilo Augusto scored the winning goal, as Abahani escaped with with a struggling 2-1 win.
