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Al Ain beat Ajman 4-1 to collect first three points

After losing their opening match in the Etisalat Pro League with a 3-6 result to Al Ahli, Al Ain, the defending champions came to compensate for that big loss beating the hosts’ team Ajman 4-1 in the second round encounter held this evening at Sharjah Stadium. The winners finished the first session with a 3-1 lead. Al Ain have opened their account with three points while Ajman remain with a single point after drawing 1-1 in the first week with Al Dhafra.

Al Ain started the match with great care and more concentration seeking for an early goal to boost their morals and their hard work was soon rewarded with a penalty when Mohammed Abdulrahman was brought down inside the six yard area only six minutes from the starting whistle. The visitor’ Ghanaian’s forward Asamoah Gyan did not make a mistake sending the ball into the roof of the net. Ajman’s players were surprised by Al Ain’s early lead, but they went on making some good efforts and their striker Founkey Sy from Mali came close to level the score had not his close – range volley was blocked by the goalkeeper Dawood Sulaiman two minutes later. Gyan made it 2-0 when he was sent free with only the keeper to beat thanks for Ekoko’s perfect pass in the 11th minute. Ajman went all out trying to reduce the arrears and come back into the game

Al Ain’s Romanian coach Olario Cosmin made a compulsory substitution fielding in the right full back Mohammed Ahmad to replace Ekoko due to injury in the 18th minute. But a few second later Founkey pulled one back off a stand ball when he sent a rocket – like shot into the right top corner.

The two teams went on their attempts in the last minutes for Fawzi Fayez to add the third goal for Al Ain with a lovely header less than two minutes before the break capitalizing on Omer Abdurrahman’s cross ball to end the first session with a 3-1 lead for Al Ain.

It was only four minutes into the second half before the unmarked Mohammed Abdulrahman scoring the fourth goal making things difficult for the home squad.

Ajman made their best to reduce the score but Al Ain’s defenders stood solid on their way spoiling all their attempts. The two coaches made a number of substitutions in the last 30 minutes.  Founkey was almost to net his second goal but his fierce shot was diverted to a corner by Al Ain’s goalkeeper ending the game with a 4-1 victory for Al Ain.

In the second match played tonight, Dubai maintained a hard 3-2 fought victory over Al Shaab in the game held at Sharjah Stadium.  Simon Fondono opened the score for Dubai netting the first session’s lone goal three minutes before the breather and his teammate Richard Porta added the second 7 minutes after the break. But Al Shaab recovered afterwards to score two successive goals through Ricardo and Naser Khamis in the 53rd and 67th minutes respectively before Richard Porta securing the three points for Dubai when he netted the winner in the 74th minute.  Dubai raised their tally to four points while Al Shaab who were on top of the table by the end of the first round, remain with three points.