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Al Nasr and Al Ahli emerge winners
Al Ahli came from behind to beat the home team Al Wahda 2-1 in their match played this evening at Al Nahyan Stadium in Abu Dhabi. This win helped the visiting team to jump to 3rd spot after raising their tally to 21 points while the home squad slipped two steps downward to stay in 5th position.
Brazilian striker Fernando Bayno gave the losers' an early lead when he received a brilliant pass from Ismail Mattar inside the box. Mattar switched the ball from the right flank for Bayno to rest it on his chest before driving it home in the 18th minute. The hosts put more pressure on their rivals' defenders who stood solid on their way spoiling all their attempts to end the first half with a 1-0 result for Al Wahda.
The winners recovered after the break giving their opponents hard time and they made every bit of work to level the score. Their efforts were soon rewarded when Pinga found himself clear with only the goalie to beat to make it 1-1 five minutes after the break. The referee awarded Al Ahli a penalty when Abdul Rahim Juma'a midfielder of Al Wahda fouled Ismail Al Hammadi inside the penalty area and Pinga made no mistake from the spot kick two minutes to time to secure a 2-1 victory for his side.
In the first match of the day,Al Nasr added to the owes of Al Ain squad after defeating them 2-1 in Round 13 of the Etisalat Pro-League played tonight at Tahnoon Bin Mohammed Stadium in Al Ain. The winners jumped forward to take 4th position with 19 points while the losers remain sitting in the relegation zone second from the bottom of the table with only 11 points. It was their 6th loss since the start of the Pro-League Competition.
Al Ain mission will fly to Indonesia on Thursday this week to face Sriwijaya next Saturday, February 19 in the 2011 AFC Champions League qualifying play-off.
Ismail Bangoura from Guinea was the first to find the back of the net when he received a lovely pass from his teammate Younis Ahmed. Bangoura did not hesitate to launch a strong left footer that beat Al Ain custodian Dawood Sulaiman in the 27th minute. Al Ain's defender Musallem Fayez was given marching orders 6 minutes later when he brought down Al Nasr's player Younis Ahmed at the edge of the box. The hosts made good efforts looking for the equalizer but all their efforts went in vain to end the first session with a solitary- goal win for Al Nasr.
Against run of play, Al Nasr went further ahead when their Brazilian player Rodrigo Vergilio came to make it 2-0 in the 68th minute when he received a brilliant pass from Younis Ahmed from the left flank inside the penalty area. He beat Al Ain's goalkeeper Dawood Sulaiman and scored the second goal. Elias Ribeiro reduced the deficit for Al Ain when he netted their consolation goal off a penalty after Mahmoud Hassan, who was sent off for his second yellow card, brought Hadaf Abdullah Al Amri down inside the box in the 78th minute. It was Elias Ribeiro's first personal goal in the Etisalat Pro-League Competition.