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Kalba push hosts Al Dhafra to the bottom of the table

 

Kalba came from the Western Region with three valuable points following their 2-1 hard fought win over hosts Al Dhafra in the Etisalat Pro-League Competition round 16 match played this evening at Hamdan Bin Zayed Stadium. The winners have left the last position moving one step forward, pushing the losers to the bottom of the table after collecting 14 points, the same balance of Al Ain who remain in their previous 10th position on goal difference.

The hosts, who faced the visiting team under the guidance of their new Syrian coach Mohammad Kwid, started the game brilliantly applying an attacking football tactics forcing Kalba to retreat to their back line depending on counter attacks. Their duo strikers Abbas Moya from Nigeria and his colleague Boris Kabi from Ivory Coast, supported by Mohammad Salim, made good attempts threatening Kalba's keeper Mohammad Osman in many occasions, but failed to score due to lack of concentration. Kabi was the first to open the score, but his perfect header flew over the cross bar only 7 minutes into the game. He lost another sitter 7 minutes later after his volley went just inches from the left upright. Abbas Moya launched a fierce left-footer that rebounded off Kalba custodian's hands in the 37th minute before being cleared away by a defender. His teammate Ghareeb Harib squandered the most dangerous opportunity when he found himself with only the goalkeeper to beat. But instead of hooking the ball home over the advancing goalie, he shot wide five minutes before the break.

The visiting team tried to surprise their rivals when Brazilian Elias Cano sent a rocket-like volley that was saved by the hosts' keeper Mohammad Hussain in the 41st minute to end the first session with a goalless draw.

Kalba recovered after the break making a number of raids and it took them only two minutes to find the back of the net via their French player Gregory who capitalized on a joint blunder committed by defenders Yasir Abdullah and Hamad Al Hamadi. Gregory came to make it 2-0 off Cano's lovely pass after facing Al Dhafra's goalkeeper Mohammad Hussain in the 57th minute, sending the ball into the empty net raising his tally to 9 goals in the scorers' title run.

The hosts exerted more efforts to reduce the deficit and their front liner Moya came close to make it in the 62nd minute had not his shot deflected by the keeper to a corner. But his colleague Boris Kabi compensated for the lost chance when he benefited off Mohammad Salim's cross ball in front of the goal mouth to drive it home making it 2-1 in the 79th minute. Al Dhafra tried their best afterwards to level the score but all their work was in vain to end the game with a 2-1 result for the visiting team.