|
Al
Shabab 2 Sharjah 2
Gulf News - Al Shabab rallied to force a draw (2-2) with Sharjah in the
First Division football league at Maktoum bin Rashid stadium on Wednesday
night.
Sharjah led 2-0 in the first half despite playing with 10 men. Eight
minutes from kickoff the referee showed the red card to defender Hasan
Ahmed for a rough tackle on Arthur Moses, the Al Shabab striker. However,
the home team recovered in the second half and took advantage of the
further depleted Sharjah team, who were reduced to nine men following the
ejection of striker Razaq Farhan for his second bookable offence.
The result didn't help either team. Both stayed at the bottom of the table
with two points each.
Iranian striker Ali Daei returned to Al Shabab yesterday, following a
four-week absence through injury.
Daei's return, however, failed to satisfy the Iranian supporters as their
national team skipper saw his penalty kick being denied by the upright.
Daei's teammate Mehrdad Minavand was also missing following a one-match
suspension.
Daei squandered another chance, three minutes after the missed penalty,
when he was put through to face the Sharjah goalkeeper, but shot straight
at his body.
Sharjah went ahead in the 22nd minute through Saeed Al Kass, who
capitalised on a mistake by Al Shabab keeper Hasan Sherrif. The Al Shabab
custodian saw a short pass by him to his defender intercepted by Al Kass,
who shot into the empty net.
Salim Saad, the Al Shabab striker, who didn't play in his club's last
match, while asking for a transfer to another club, came in at the 30th
minute to replace Abdullah Darwish.
The Al Shabab's attacks, by Daei and Arthur, lacked bite and the Sharjah
keeper, Tariq Mussabah, faced no real threat.
Sharjah added their second goal in the fourth minute of injury time
following a well-placed free kick taken by Abdullah Suhail from 25 metres.
After halftime Al Shabab pulled one back following a goalmouth error by
the Sharjah defence and goalkeeper. Arthur scored before the Sharjah
defenders could clear the ball.
Al Shabab pressed hard till the 63rd minute when Khalil Mirza sent a high
ball to Ali Daei, who headed it down for Arthur, who shot straight above
the advancing Sharjah custodian.
Two minutes later Sharjah's Razaq Farhan was sent off for faking a dive
after he was brought down inside the box by Shabab defender Khamis Jaffar.
The referee, thinking that Razaq faked the foul, gave him his second
yellow card of the match. Despite the two dismissals Sharjah denied Al
Shabab from scoring the winner and both teams settled for a draw. |
