The title race of the Bangladesh Premier League heat up after three-time champions Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club grabbed solo lead with a 3-2 win over Brothers Union at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.

Following on Chittagong Abahani's defeat against Muktijoddha Sangsad on Tuesday, Sheikh Jamal had the perfect opportunity to go top of the table and the Dhanmondi giants grabbed it with both hands, taking three valuable points from the high-scoring fixture.

Sheikh Jamal now have 43 points from 18 matches, one ahead of both Chittagong Abahani and defending champions Abahani with four games remaining for each side. With Saif Sporting Club far behind the trio, the fight for the title is a three-horse race, but will likely go down to the wire.

It was Sheikh Jamal's Gambian striker Solomon King, who took the game away from Brothers Union by scoring a brace in the first half before Nigerian forward Raphael Odoyin netted the other. Brothers Union, who stayed in eighth position with 15 points, showed some character too as they pulled two goals back.

Sheikh Jamal came into the match on the back of two big wins against Muktijoddha Sangsad and Arambagh KS and they continued from where they had left in the previous game. The Dhanmondi-based outfit took only five minutes to break the deadlock when Javed Khan lobbed one from the right-hand touchline for Solomon, who rose high to head in from inside the six-yard box.

Solomon, who also scored a brace against Brothers in their first meeting, doubled the lead in the 44th minute with a placing shot after taking the control of a Nurul Absar cross from the left side.

Brothers pulled one back in the stoppage time of the first half, with Congolese Siyo Zunapio converting a spot-kick.

Odoyin, however, restored Sheikh Jamal's two-goal advantage with a side-volley after playing a one-two with Solomon in the 78th minute. It was the 14th goal for the top-scorer of the league. Substitute Bishal Das reduced the arrears with a brilliant header in the 81st minute before Zunapio wasted a great opportunity to level the margin despite getting opposition goalkeeper Mitul Hasan in a one-on-one situation.

Meanwhile, like the title-fight, the relegation battle also got very intense after bottom-of-the-table Farashganj SC pulled off a 3-0 win against neighbours Rahmatganj MFS and brought the latter into the dreaded zone.

Minhazul Abedin, Chinedu Mathew and Mahmudul Biswas Munna scored one goal apiece for Farashganj, who now share the last position alongside Rahmatganj with 13 points from 18 matches.

Muktijoddha Sangsad are on 14 points while Arambagh are a further point above.