Murad Ahmed Milon struck twice as Premier Division runners-up Sheikh Russel Krira Chakra breezed into the super six with a thrashing 4-0 victory against Bangladesh Air Force in their final match of the four-leg first phase.

Premier League champions Brothers Union on the other hand scored an unimpressive 2-1 win over Jhenidah Mohammedan Sporting Club in the day's other match at the same venue.

The victory, their fourth in as many games, however consolidated Brothers' position in Group B with maximum 12 points. The Oranges will play their final game against fellow Dhaka giants Mohammedan Sporting Club on August 21, which will also wrap up the Chittagong leg.

The Russel boys went into their final game knowing that they had to avoid a defeat against the airmen for a place in the super six. But at the end the new leviathans in domestic football won comfortably.

Russel's Moroccan hit-man Quati Younnes opened the account five minutes before break. The North African forward, adjudged man of the match, found the mark with an accurate header off a Nurul Islam's right flank cross.

Sheikh Russel looked more organised in the second half and doubled the lead in the 61st minute when substitute Apu nodded home a centre from the right flank.

Three minutes later, Milon netted his first goal with a placing shot and then sealed the fate of the match with a powerful right-footer in the 72nd minute.

"We came up with different game plan and it worked. We will keep the same formation in the super six phase and hopefully it will help us to go all the way," said Sheikh Russel's manager Habibur Rahman Mannu after the match.

BU V JHENIDAH MSC
Brothers Union drew early blood scoring twice inside the first 15 minutes.

Man-of-the-match Monwar put the Gopibagh outfit ahead with a nice left-footed volley from close range after five minutes while young striker Topu doubled the lead when he placed the ball cunningly after receiving a back-heel from Abul which came through the legs of Mohammedan keeper Al Amin.

But Brothers ran out of ideas after the break and that allowed the Jhenidah Black and Whites to pull one goal back in the 84th minute with Hakim outwitting a puzzled substitute goalie Mohammed Ali.

Brothers captain Alfaz Ahmed was not happy with his team's performance.

"We will have to pay dearly next time if we take the opponents so lightly like we did today. We need to improve on our weaknesses in the next match," he said while referring to their big meeting with Mohammedan.

"The early two goals made the difference. We fought till the end but without a good striker we could not convert our chances," commented Mohammaden skipper Shahidul Islam Mintoo.

Defending champions Mukti-joddha Sangsad will take on Dhaka Abahani at 4 pm in today's Group A clash. Both sides have already booked their Super Six berths.