Al Ahli 1-2 Al Ain
Ahli: Jassim (87’)
Al Ain: Abdulrahman (51’) Caio (90’)
Man of the match: Omar Abdulrahman (Al Ain)
DUBAI // Without a manager and out of form, Al Ain rebounded with an inspired late victory against bitter rivals Al Ahli to move to second in the Arabian Gulf League.
The Garden City club, with Under-21 coach Josko Spanjic in temporary charge following Zlatko Dalic’s departure earlier this week, had captain Omar Abdulrahman and winger Caio to thank, the latter netting the winner in injury time.
Al Ain’s supporters, packed into the Rashid Stadium away end and with front-row seats to both their team’s goals, erupted in delight.
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■ More AGL: Baniyas dismiss manager
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Al Ain had relinquished the lead then regained it, leaving Ahli no time to react. The visitors claimed the points, claimed the bragging rights and leapt above Ahli to second in the table. They may trail leaders Al Jazira by seven points with 10 rounds left to play, but this felt like a restorative win.
“It was a beautiful evening for us,” Spanjic said. “This game was very important for us and we had to play very well. We are so happy and we will enjoy this victory.”
And so they will, since Al Ain had taken a solitary point from the previous three matches. Yet whoever next takes permanent control of the dugout — Croat Zoran Mamic represents the favourite — they will enter a club buoyed by a crucial triumph.
The foundations for Saturday night’s victory were laid six minutes into the second half, when Abdulrahman nicked the ball ahead of Majed Hassan in the Ahli penalty area, stepped inside another opponent and drilled a low shot into the corner of the net.
Ahli, though, thought they had stolen at least a share of the spoils in the 87th minute, as substitute Saeed Jassim rose brilliantly to glance home Abdulaziz Sanqour’s cross. Earlier, Ahmed Khalil had struck the Al Ain post with a header of his own.
However, Al Ain would have the last laugh. Just as the clock ticked past 90 minutes, Abdulrahman fed Nasser Al Shamrani on the counter, who in turned played in Caio, leaving the Brazilian to finish expertly through Hassan’s legs and inside Ahli’s far post. Al Ain had the win, a redemptive victory to banish the troubles of the past few weeks.
jmcauley@thenational.ae
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