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Gulf News- Al
Shabab scored their second successive win in the First division football
league by beating neighbours Al Ahli 2-1 at Maktoum bin Rashid stadium
yesterday.
The Deira derby was full of action and tension with the referee flashing his
yellow card nine times and sending Shabab coach, Rainer Holleman, to the
stands after the German coach entered the field protesting against the
decision of not awarding Walid Obaid a penalty kick.
Shabab leapfrogged to tenth place with nine points and Ahli dropped to fifth
place with 21 points. The match was attended by Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum bin
Rashid Al Maktoum, the Al Shabab Club President, and Ahmed Saif Balhasa, the
Chairman of the club's board.
"We were looking to win one point from a strong team like Al Ahli, but we
won the three and that is excellent," said Holleman in the press conference.
He added that his team must win all matches at home if they are to stay in
the first division. "We are progressing and there is a lot of work to be
done in the coming matches to avoid relegation."
Adil Abdul Aziz, the Ahli wingback, could have opened the score just two
minutes after kick off, when he was put through into a shooting position.
His weak shot, though, was saved by Shabab custodian Ismail Rabie.
Ahli striker, Qazimyan, hit a free kick from 30 metres, which was caught by
Rabie and Shabab's Minavand responded with another free kick, straight into
the keeper's hands.
Shabab scored first, in the 19th minute, with a well placed header by Ali
Daei following a cross by Minavand. Ahli began attacking and an advancing
Salim Khamis only had the keeper to beat, who blocked his shot to denied
him.
Two minutes before the interval, Shabab midfielder, Adil Abdullah, brought
down Faisal Khalil inside the box and a penalty kick was awarded for Ahli.
Ismail Rabie dived to his left to save Hasan Ali's shot.
Adil Abdullah, again, brought down Jasim Akbar inside the penalty area in
the second minute of injury time and the referee again awarded a penalty
kick to Ahli. This time Qazimyan converted the spot kick although Rabie got
a hand to it, and levelled the score for Ahli.
Two minutes after the break, Salim Khamis went past three defenders, but was
unlucky to see his shot bounce off the bar.
Faisal Khalil lost three scoring chances for Ahli. In the 61st minute his
header went far off target. After two minutes, with only the Shabab keeper
to beat, he shot straight into his body and the ball went to Qazimyan who
couldn't control it in front of an open goal. In the 71st minute, Faisal was
put through again with only the keeper to beat, but his shot went wide of
the post.
Salim Saad scored the Shabab winner in the 75th minute from the right flank,
when he sent a high curling shot that went above the Ahli custodian, hit the
far post and went in.
Ahli pressed to level, but failed to break through the Shabab defence. Three
minutes before the end, Naser Yousuf lost an excellent chance to score the
third for Shabab when he received a through pass but shot right at the
keeper.
In the second match, Al Shaab and Al Jazira drew 1-1 in Sharjah. James Debba
scored for Jazira and Mohammed Suroor leveled for Shaab, who went into
fourth place with 22 points, while Jazira stayed sixth with 17 points. |
