High crosses are not in Argentine coach Diego Cruciani's books because he does not have a tall striker. But three lobs won the match for him with two headed goals by Alfaz and another by Sujan in the second half.

There was also an indication about Cruciani's eleven that will feature when Bangladesh start defence of their SAFF Football Championship title in Pakistan early December.

With Aminul under the bar, Hassan Al Mamun and Titu played fullbacks beside Sujan and Rajani. Arman, Joy and Matiur Munna started in the middle with Alfaz playing the role of the 'free midfielder'. Ujjal was pushed ahead with Farhad being the main striker. Farhad was not impressive as well as the two centre-backs, who were responsible for leaving wide gaps for the opposition forwards.

The first session belonged to Abahani, who looked well warmed-up for the National Football League finals which starts today in Khulna, with three foreigners pushing hard. And striker Bulbul put the sky-blues ahead against all odds with a clinical finish in the 11th minute when he sliced through central defenders Rajani and Sujan with a through-pass from Moroccan midfielder Egir Mohammed.

Although Cruciani's boys enjoyed superior ball possession, Bulbul almost doubled the lead in similar fashion nine minutes later with a through from Ghanaian booter Ibrahim.

But Aminul left his line to block the ball but the goalkeeper picked a minor injury in his mouth. His replacement Biplab handed over the second goal to Bulbul as soon as the game resumed. Picking up Biplab's feeble freekick -- his first touch on the ball -- from inside the box, Bulbul raced past Rajani to neatly place a left footer into the near post.

With the defence already in tatters, the national team almost conceded a third but Bulbul denied himself a hattrick, placing the ball just wide from a handshaking distance.

The men in red then began to regroup and Matiur Munna rattled the crossbar before Farhad split the rival defence, but skipper Joy and Ujjal both failed to convert the chances in injury time.

Unlike their first exhibition match against Mohammedan, which the national team won 2-1 last week, the Argentine coach kept his best eleven on the pitch, showing desperation to win the game.

Although they looked slower and penetrated less before the break, it did not take long to reduce the margin. It was veteran Alfaz, playing in the midfield, who struck first when he headed home Arman's corner from the right in the 65th minute.

Three minutes later, it was again Alfaz who nodded a darting cross from overlapping rightback Hassan Al Mamun into the near post. With Abahani tiring out, the national team pressed hard but substitute Kanchan's effort hit the base of the upright before Sujan leaped high in the air to head another corner by Arman past goalkeeper Nizam for the 75th minute match-winner.

After the match, the 41-year-old Argentine coach denied media reports that he had said he might not return to Bangladesh after the Xmas vacation because 'he was unhappy' with the federation.

"I was angry for some reasons yesterday but I never said I am leaving Bangladesh," Cruciani said while the reporters queried about some press reports published yesterday.

"I am thinking of nothing but football and I am happy that the boys innovated something and took the aerial way to score," he said about the headed goals.

"It was a bit difficult for us early because the opposition, especially their foreign players, were not in exhibition-match mood. They did some hard tackles and I became worried about injuries. I even requested their management to slow down," he informed.

The national team will play their third and final warm-up match at the same venue against Brothers Union on December 1.