AFCL - Al Wahda were left
ruing a series of missed chances as Saba Battery of Iran posted a 4-2 win
over the United Arab Emirates' champions in their Group C encounter at the
Al Nahyan Stadium on Wednesday.
Saba took a 2-1 lead at half time and claimed two more early in the second
half to effectively shut the door on Al Wahda and take their tally to seven
points, leaving their opponents on four at the end of the fourth round of
matches in the group.
Alen Advic drew first blood for Saba in the 28th minute, nodding in a high
ball that had been headed towards goal by Ali Daei following a cross from
Mohammad Navazi.
Navazi was also the creator of Saba's second goal, the 31-year-old defender
sending over the corner from which Saeid Bagi doubled his side's advantage.
Al Wahda pulled one back through Abdulraheem Jumaa in the 39th minute from a
set-piece, but the visitors restored the two-goal lead two minutes after the
resumption when Sohrab Bakhtiarizadeh caught the home defence napping to
head in a free kick.
Five minutes later Bagi broke through the offside trap to add a second to
his name and give Saba a 4-1 lead.
Al Wahda pushed hard to get back in the game and even scored a late goal
through Fahed Masoud, but it came too late for the home side.
Al Wahda were the more creative early in the game, and fashioned several
scoring opportunities but failed to register due to poor finishing.
Angolan international Maurito fired a weak shot when set up in front of the
goal in the fourth minute and Haider Alo Ali's effort from close range two
minutes later was pushed wide by goalkeeper Almir Tolja with his
outstretched left leg.
Maurito fired a couple of rockets at the Saba goal, the first going straight
into Tolja's hands while the other flew over the crossbar. And in-between,
Masoud, unmarked at the far post, saw his diving header from close range go
off target.
Al Wahda's struggles in front of goal continued in the second half and
Ismail Matar's powerful strike from inside the penalty area was parried by
Tolja in the 69th minute as the Iranians did enough to keep their
qualification hopes alive.
