Sharjah dampen Al Ahli's hopes

Action from the match between Al Ahli vs Sharjah at Al Ahli Football Stadium in Dubai ©Gulf News

Gulf News
Al Ahli 2 Sharjah 2
Al Shaab 1 Al Wasl 0

Al Ahli were held at home to a 2-2 tie by Sharjah in the first division football league match held at Rashid stadium here yesterday. The draw denied Al Ahli of jumping to the fifth place which they were looking to clinch and revive their hope to reach the top four in the league table which allow them to play in the Super League.

The two teams stayed on the same places on the table without any change, Al Ahli sixth with 23 point and a better goal difference than Sharjah who have the same points tally in the seventh place.

Gifted Iranian striker Ali Karimi of Al Ahli was off colour in yesterday's match, he was marked closely by Sharjah defenders Jasim Darwish and Ibrahim Ali who trapped him in an off side position in many occasions during the match, and the chances he got infront of Sharjah goal couldn't capitalize of it.

Sharjah dominated the first half with an organised display in the midfield with Abdul Aziz Al Anbary, Hasan Ahmed, Osman Assas with Faiz Juma and Abdullah Suhail adding more pressure against Ahli defence who suffered from the absence of their tough libero Mohammed Qasim who watched the match from the stand due to a one match ban.

Ali Karimi lost a good chance after seven minutes from the start when he was put through with only the Sharjah keeper to beat, but the keeper blocked his way and Karimi's shot was saved.

Again Karimi was put through in 31st minute, also he shot on Tariq Musabah body. After two minutes Faiz Juma scored Sharjah's first, Faiz's shot from close range went through the Ahli keeper's hands.

Rasheed bin Mahmood of Morocco leveled for Ahli after two minutes of resumption following an error by Sharjah keeper when he failed to punch a high free kick, Rasheed slotted the ball into an empty net. Al Ahli pressed hard to score the winner.

Saeed Al Kass however scored the second goal for Sharjah against the run of play, Razaq Farhan crossed from the right and Al Kass powerful shot beat Ali Saeed to his right. Razaq could have added the third in the 65th minute when he went through to face the Ahli keeper, but he shot ion his body.

Again Razaq lost a scoring chance when the keeper dived to grab the ball from Razaq's feet. In the 70th minute Ibrahim Ali the Sharjah defender scored in his own goal when he seized the ball from Karimi inside the penalty area, but his keeper couldn't catch Ibrahim's back pass which entered between the keeper's legs into the net scoring the Ahli equaliser.

Salim Khamis, Karimi and Faisal Khalil lost some scoring opportunities which could put Ahli winners of the three points.

In the second match played at Khalid bin Mohammed stadium in Sharjah, Al Shaab defeated Al Wasl by a solitary goal scored by Sheikh Diop in the 67th minute. Al Shaab leapt to the third place with 30 points while Al Wasl stayed fifth with 23 points.