Al Ahli step up pace after 12-day break

Al Ahli notched only their second win at home over bottom team Dubai 3-1 in the opening Week Six match of the Etisalat Pro League at Rashid Stadium in Dubai on Friday.

The hosts had only a 15th minute strike by Ahmed Khamis to show for all their dominance in the first half showing signs of rustiness despite the return of national star Ahmed Khalil as the league resumed after a 12-day break.

But with their defence looking solid although skipper Fabio Cannavaro did not take the field in the second half, the hosts never looked in danger of being denied full points.

Al Ahli punched gaping holes with regular frequency in the porous Dubai defence to strike twice through Faisal Khalil on the hour and Brazilian playmaker Pinga seven minutes from time.

The visitors dented Al Ahli’s flattering scoreline with a superb effort in the first minute of added time to give them some consolation.

Fernando Baiano was on song against Al Nasr firing both goals in their 2-0 win in the second match of the day in Abu Dhabi on Friday.

It was Dubai who threatened to score first in the sixth minute when Hassan Mohammed broke away after Cannavaro failed to clear the ball inside their half. He had just the goalkeeper to beat but sent the ball wide across the face of goal.

Al Ahli controlled the midfield well through Ahmed Ali with Pinga and Obaid Khalifa running on the flanks.

A superb left footed volley which zipped past a diving Ahmed Mallah into the right corner from just outside the area by Ahmed Khamis put Al Ahli ahead in the 15th minute.

Pinga was cautioned with yellow card in the 27th minute for a needless tackle while Faisal Khalil appeared to break down the momentum in the middle with his wayward passing initially as Al Ahli tried to consolidate their territorial advantage.

Khamis was denied a second in the 36th minute by Mallah who blocked a close range effort following a fine passing move involving Pinga, Ahmed Khalil and Faisal.

Pinga came close himself in the 39th minute when he threaded the ball past a horde of defenders from the edge of the area while at the other end Obaid Al Taweela tipped over a fierce 30-yard drive by Michael Laurent N’dri.

Al Ahli made a double substitution after the interval Saad Suroor coming in for Cannavaro while Adil Salem replaced Obaid Khalifa.

Faisal Khalil who took charge made his presence felt with a shot that skimmed over the bar in the 51st minute from the edge of the area. Ahmed had initially appeared to be through with the goal beckoning but as the defence recover, he found Pinga who had a crack at goal in the melee before Faisal sent the ball sailing over.

N’dri shaved the cross bar with a header on the hour for Dubai after Yazid Kaissi launched the attack but it was Faisal Khalil who found the net at the other end a minute later to give Ahli a 2-0 cushion.

Chasing a long ball, Faisal streaked across before checking himself momentarily to shrug off the attention of two defenders and driving home with his left foot into the top left corner.

Dubai’s Hassan Mohamed was just wide with from the edge of the area in the 64th minute while Mallah tipped over a pile driver from substitute Al Ahli’s Adil Saleem a minute later with both sides creating a host of chances.

Al Ahli put pressure on the Dubai stopper with two consecutive free kicks by Pinga, the first a superb effort from over 30 metres which bounced out off Mallah’s hands.

Ismael Al Hammadi who substituted Ahmed Khalil in the 75th minute set up their third goal.

Pinga was finally rewarded in the 83rd minute when he stabbed a fine cross from Al Hammadi into the roof of the net after Faisal Khalil split the defence with a clever pass to the right.

Faisal Khalil could have added another to Al Ahli’s tally a minute before full time after breakaway move from the half way line but with only the goalkeeper to beat he could not find the net.

However, in a frantic finish it was Dubai who finally got on the scoresheet in added time when Abou Baca Camara crashed the ball home from close range after a headed pass from Ali Hassan after Al Taweela had blocked a similar effort from N’dri on the stroke of full time.

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