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Unlucky Al Shaab lose 3-1 at home to Bani Yas

Thursday evening’s encounter between Al Shaab and Bani Yas at the Khaled Bin Mohamed Stadium was closer than the scoreline may suggest, as 3rd-placed Bani Yas came out victorious with a 3-1 win despite a positive fighting performance from relegation-threatened Al Shaab. The Round 17 result sees Bani Yas - who played the match without Egyptian star Mohamed Aboutrika - remain level on points with Al Jazira in 2nd, and six points behind leaders Al Ain. Meanwhile Al Shaab failed to pull further away from the danger zone following their win last week, as both sides below them – Kalba and Dibba Al Fujairah – pulled off shock wins against big teams this weekend to put all three of the bottom clubs level on 10 points.

Al Shaab started positively, making some dangerous forays forward in the opening stages as Bani Yas took a while to find their feet in the game. The home side looked most likely to break the deadlock, with Hassan Maatouk setting Filipe Teixeira away with a defense-splitting pass, but the Portuguese midfielder’s first touch was too heavy and the Bani Yas goalkeeper Obaid Al Taweela was able to gather. Al Shaab clocked up a number of corners as a result of their continued attacking pressure, but they were unable to find an end product.

In the 16th minute, Bani Yas finally created a chance as they were awarded a free kick 35 yards from goal. Nawaf Mubarak got a lot of bend and dip on the ball from his set piece, but it flew wide of the post. Just a minute later Bani Yas gained another free kick in the same spot, and once again Nawaf Mubarak took charge of the dead ball situation, this time floating a cross into the box but Al Shaab were able to clear. In the 27th minute Al Shaab were forced to make a change due to injury, with Mohamed Ahmed coming off to be replaced by Rashed Ali. Three minutes later Al Shaab threatened again, with two corners in quick succession. Faisal Khalil got on the end of an over-the-top ball but couldn’t control as his first touch fell straight into the arms of Obaid Al Taweela in the Bani Yas goal.

Seven minutes later and against the run of play, Bani Yas took the lead. Haboush Saleh was fouled by Al Shaab defender Ali Mohamed, earning Bani Yas another free kick in a promising position. Once again it was Nawaf Mubarak who stepped up to take it, whipping the ball into the box with his left foot. Khalid Mubarak almost got his head to the cross but it needed no assistance to be diverted into the back of the net, as Nawaf Mubarak’s effort flew straight in untouched, putting the visitors 1-0 up in the 37th minute.

Just four minutes after taking the lead, Bani Yas compounded Al Shaab’s misery as yet another Nawaf Mubarak free kick caused trouble in the box, with the unfortunate Al Shaab defender Ali Mohamed heading into his own net to put Bani Yas 2-0 up in the 41st minute. However, not ones to let their heads drop, Al Shaab carved out another attack of their own two minutes later and were handed a lifeline when Michael Laurent N’dri received a shove in the back from Bani Yas defender Thamer Mohammed in the box. The referee awarded a penalty and it was the productive Hassan Maatouk who stepped up and planted a powerful right-footed shot into the back of the net, getting his Al Shaab side back in the game at 2-1 in the 45th minute.

Al Shaab got out of the blocks positively after the restart, taking just seconds to register their first shot on target of the second half, and two minutes later they came agonisingly close to an equaliser. French striker Michael Laurent N’dri had beaten Bani Yas goalkeeper Obaid Al Taweela from a tight angle, but couldn’t beat the post as his shot rebounded off the frame of the goal and Bani Yas were able to scramble it to safety in the 47th minute. Five minutes later Al Shaab were awarded a free kick 20 yards from goal in a central position, after Bani Yas’ Mohamed Jaber fouled the tricky N’dri. Hassan Maatouk shaped up to take the set piece but the Bani Yas wall stood strong and he couldn’t find a way past them.

Despite Al Shaab’s best efforts in attack registering double the amount of shots than Bani Yas, the third-placed side showed the home team what a touch of class and clinical finishing can do. A header back in the box from captain Yousef Jaber was hit on the volley by January signing Christian Wilhelmsson; a sweet strike from the Swede to put his side 3-1 up in the 73rd minute, with his first goal in the Etisalat Pro League. Al Shaab continued to dig in and fight hard to make a comeback for the remainder of the game, but they paid the price for their missed chances and the match finished in a 3-1 win to Bani Yas.