In front of a crowd of only 883 at Maktoum bin Rashid Stadium in Dubai on Sunday night, Al Jazira beat Al Shabab 2-1 to climb to eighth place in their troubled domestic campaign.
The opening 25 minutes were almost entirely devoid of any major incident as both team packed their defences.
Al Shabab’s Juninho Potiguar wasted the best chance of the match on 30 minutes when he sent his shot over the bar after some tricky play from Jassem Jouhar on the left flank.
Minutes later Ali Mabkhout looked certain to score but headed over from two metres out, but the referee’s assistant signalled for an offside.
The home team finally made the breakthrough in the 36th minute when Mohammed Ayed headed past a flat-footed Ali Khaseif from Mohammed Jumaa’s curling freekick.
Al Jazira improved markedly after the break and the equaliser came on 59 minutes when Thiago Neves’s freekick was nodded on by Kenwyne Jones for Mabkhout to head in from inside the six-yard box.
Sultan Al Suwaidi was stretched off for Al Jazira and replaced Mohammed Al Abdouli, but despite that setback it was the visitors who continued to look the more likely winners.
Jumaa had a chance to regain the lead for Shabab but shot just wide of the post on 76 minutes. A few minutes later Neves’s chip was deflected by Mohammed Marzooq and looped over Abdullah for the game winner.
Man of the match
Thiago Neves, Al Jazira: It was his freekick that led to the equaliser. He also worked himself cleverly into space to take the shot that took a deflection for the winning goal.
What they said
Henk ten Cate, Al Jazira coach: “We suffered physically a lot against Al Sadd and it was difficult today, but no excuses from us ... It was important to get another three points after the Dibba match, as we want to go as quickly as possible away from the bottom teams.”
Caio Junior, Al Shabab coach: “The strategy with three foreign players out injured was very good, the first half was perfect. In second half Al Jazira had two chances and got two goals”
The National’s verdict
After their Asian Champions League success against Al Sadd of Qatar, this was another boost for Al Jazira and Ten Cate.
The have room to breath at eighth in the table and Ten Cate can start looking higher a. There also will be huge optimism in the form of Ali Mabkhout and Kenwyne Jones, buts bigger tests await.
akhaled@thenational.ae
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