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Al Jazira surpass Bani Yas with a 3-0 win to move to second position provisionally
Al Jazira moved provisionally to second position in the Etisalat Pro League with 24 points following their deserved win over Bani Yas with three straight goals in the penultimate week match of the competition’s first round played this evening at Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. The losers stepped down to third place with 22 points.
The two teams could not build up scoring chances in the opening minutes as most of their work was concentrated on the midfield zone. Both the visitors’ strikers the Egyptian Mohammed Zidane and Senegalese Andre Sengahoor lost a valuable sitter in the 10th minute due to slow of passing and lack of focus.
Bani Yas looked the better side after making a number of forays every now and then while their opponents depended heavily on counter attacks but the work of both squads was in vain. The hosts’ midfielder Ibrahima Diaky came close to put his side into the lead when he received a pass at the edge of the box before firing a rocket–like shot that deflected by the goalkeeper Mohammed Ali Gholoom in the 38th minute. Mohammed Zidane squandered a similar opportunity for Bani Yas when he sent a close-range left footer but it missed the target one minute later. Al Jazira organized a quick attack two minutes before the break for their Brazilian striker Ricardo Oliveira to capitalize on the ball which was switched from the left flank inside the six yard area and headed back by a defender. Ricardo drove it home giving his team a first session 1-0 lead.
The second half was a different story as both teams exerted more efforts, demonstrating a quick and balanced performance trying to score more goals. Sengahoor, who rounded up two defenders, was unhappy to see his strong shot saved bravely by Al Jazira’s keeper Ali Khaseif and deflected to a flag kick only two minutes after the interval. The match referee Ali Hamad rewarded Al Jazira a penalty when Ali Mabkhoot was fouled inside the box one minute later but Ricardo Oliveira sent the ball just close to the upright. But his teammate Ali Mabkhoot compensated for the lost chance when he hooked the ball over the advancing goalie Mohammed Gholoom to make it 2-0 in the 74th minute. Ricardo Oliveira hit the back of the net with a strong left shot from outside the box two minutes later for the third goal.
The two teams went on, doubled their efforts but both failed to score in the last minutes to end the game with a 3-0 victory.
On the other hand Al Jazira’s front liner Ricardo Oliveira travelled back home tonight immediately after the game to join his family in the death of his mother who passed away yesterday.
In the second match of the day Ittihad Kalba maintained their second win in the season after beating Dibba Al Fujairah 3-2 at Al Fujairah Stadium. The winners raised their tally to six points to remain second from the bottom while Dibba slipped to the last position with only four points. Saoud Faraj scored a brace for Kalba in the 24th and 34th minutes and Gregory added the third six minutes before half time whereas Abdulrazak Alhusein reduced the deficit in the 41st minute and Alexssander Medeiros made it 3-2 off a penalty kick four minutes to time.