2:05pm Monday 16th February 2009
By Trevor Adams
Only two games survived the weather in the T&A League and both were League Cup ties.
Fairbank kept up their hopes of a cup and league double with a hard-earned 4-2 victory over a much improved Sporting Athletic.
Neither team had any clear-cut chances in the first half hour and both had their share of possession but the deadlock was broken on 35 minutes.
Mohammed Ishmaeel outwitted the home defence with a through ball to Farooq Miah, who rounded the keeper to score.
Miah then turned goal-maker for the second when he went round defenders before slipping the ball to Naveed Hussain, who doubled Fairbank’s lead at the interval.
Five minutes after the break, a surging run by Naveed was brought to an end when he was brought down and he hit home the spot-kick.
The hosts then pulled a goal back through David Geddes before Abel Phiri hit a second as they piled pressure on the league leaders. Sporting had chances to equalise but Mohammed Ishmaee hit an 85th-minute goal to settle Fairbank nerves.
Lidget Green hit seven first half goals in a one- sided encounter against an out-of-sorts All Nations.
Javed Afsar smashed four with Asif Chunara also hitting a brace.
Further strikes by Naweed Iqbal and Jamil Ahmed put them well in control and Abab Ahmed rounded off a fine display to make it 9-0 after the break, sealing a place in the next round.
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