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Bani Yas outclass Dubai 5-0 to retain third place

 

Bani Yas came out with a five straight goals to snatch a valuable win over visiting team Dubai in their Etisalat Pro League Round 16 game, played tonight at Bani Yas’s home ground in Al Shamkha. With this deserved victory, the winners raised their tally to 31 points to retain third position while Dubai are in 8th place with 19 points.

The two teams started the game with a high tempo as each of them was keen to surprise their counterparts with an early goal, and Bani Yas shaded the opening minutes as the better side. The hosts’ Senegalese striker Andre Senghor was almost put his side in front when he launched a strong shot only ten minutes into play. Senghor’s attempt was deflected by the Dubai goalkeeper Jamal Abdullah but it fell at the feet of left back Yousuf Jaber, who in turn tried to drive it into the net, but for his bad fortune it rebounded off the post before being cleared away by a defender. But a minute later the Swedish international Christian Wilhelmsson gave the home team the lead, scoring his first goal for his new team from Senghor’s perfect headed pass to make it 1-0.

This goal increased the appetite of Bani Yas’ players who started afterwards to launch continuous forays towards Dubai’s goal, whilst the latter were satisfied with only weak attempts, the real threat of which was in the 11th minute with a rocket-like shot fired by Rodrigo Carica, but his effort was saved by keeper Mohammed Ali Gholoom to deny the Brazilian striker a scoring opportunity. But six minutes later, Senghor set a backheel to Nawaf Mubarak inside the box, who did not hesitate to drive the ball into the net in the 17th minute making it 2-0. Nawaf returned Senghor’s favour when he sent him a lovely pass inside the penalty area, which Senghor controlled on his chest before driving it into the net to the left of the goalkeeper Jamal Abdullah in the 20th minute to increase his side’s advantage further, crushing Dubai's spirits in just 20 minutes with a 3-0 lead.

Dubai’s players did not provide the expected technical performance and failed to threaten their rivals’ goalkeeper Mohammed Ali Gholoom, with their attempts coming only at sparce intervals. The visitors were unable to produce any reply to Bani Yas' three early goals, giving the home side a strong foothold on the game as they dictated the run of play.

Dubai tried to recover after the half-time break to reduce the deficit, and their first attempt came through Richard Porta only three minutes into the second period of 45, however Bani Yas’s goalkeeper Mohammed Ali Gholoom saved bravely from the Australian. Bani Yas went on to control and tighten their grip on the game and their efforts were soon rewarded when their Egyptian star Mohammed Aboutrika netted the fourth goal from a dead ball situation in the 72nd minute. Things went from bad to worse for the visiting team after their player Ismail Ahmad was red carded in the 78th minute, leaving his side to complete the remaining minutes with ten men. The substitute Haboush Saleh compounded Dubai's miserable away day, making it 5-0 to Bani Yas just three minutes from time to help his team stay in third position.