Ain remain top after draw with Jazira

Al Ain retained their status as leaders of the Pro League by goal difference from Al Jazira after a 2-2 result in yesterday's top of the table clash at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium.

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ABU DHABI // Al Ain retained their status as leaders of the Pro League by goal difference from Al Jazira after a 2-2 result in yesterday's top of the table clash at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium. Al Ain, already without the suspended Chile midfielder Jorge Valdivia, were further weakened with injuries to the Brazilian forward Marcio Emerson and Omar Abdulrahman. Yet they were the better team in the first half. The visitors drew first blood through the defender Ismail Ahmed's ninth minute header before the Argentine striker Jose Sand struck the equaliser on the hour mark after Al Jazira's Ivorian striker Tony had scored twice within four minutes early in the second half. Tony's shot had too much power for Ain goalkeeper Salem to give Jazira the lead five minutes after the break and converted a penalty ? awarded for a handball by Helal Saeed Obaid ? after he handled Abdulla Mousa's effort. The visitors could have doubled the lead two minutes later but Saif Mohammed's weak effort was easily pushed out by Ali Kasheif. An estimated crowd of 18,000 crowd turned out to watch the two Abu Dhabi giants do battle, easily the highest gate so far seen for the season domestically and internationally. In the earlier game, the promoted Emirates came out 3-1 winners over Ajman to take their tally to six points from four games. The Algerian Karim Karkar was on the mark twice in the first half and the Moroccan Hassan Tiar added a third in the second. Ajman, who remain winless in the league, pulled one back through Sameer Ibrahim.