Al Ahli beat Saudi rivals

Gulf News - Vulnerable defence and some controversial refereeing decisions almost made Dubai's Al Ahli lose the three points of their match against their counterparts and namesakes of Saudi Arabia in the encounter held yesterday at Al Shabab Club and ended 3-2 to the home team in the Asian Clubs Championship.

The match started with a bang. Two goals were scored within the first five minutes. Ahli of Dubai took the lead in the fourth minute when Hassan Ali Ibrahim converted correctly a penalty awarded to them as the Saudis defenders fouled Moroccan striker Rabie Al Afwi, of Dubai's Ahli.

Qatari referee Jasim Al Hail signaled for a  penalty and Ibrahim was on target. But even before the home team fans finished their celebration they were stunned by the equaliser.

An advancing defender Fawzi Al Shihri headed home a cross from the right flank from his  captain Mohammed Shaliyah, only one minute after the home team's goal.

Dubai's Al Ahli were lucky not to go down as their defence was vulnerable and shaky and made several mistakes which resulted in dangerous scoring chances but the visitors were off target time and again.

The Saudi international striker Tilal Al Mishaal on the left flank was a continuous menace and created havoc on the home team's penalty box with his accurate crosses and aerial capabilities.

Dubai club Al Ahli did not use the flanks where Jasim Akbar tried to operate on the right flank but the movements of Al Mishaal limited his efforts while all the home team's attempts were from the depth where Salim Khamis and Hassan Ali functioned with Ali Karimi and Al Afwi in front.

The home fans were given a big scare as Waleed Al Gizani's header from inside the six yard area was blocked miraculously by the home custodian Ali Saeed for a corner following a cross from Ibrahim Suwayed, 24 minutes into the match.

Karimi, watching in dismay the poor performance of his team's defence depended on his dazzling individual talent and ball control to reduce the pressures and gave the Saudis a hard time.

He was fouled many times to stop him from scoring and one, in the last minute of the first half, proved fatal to the Saudis as the referee awarded Karimi a penalty and Hassan was on hand to score from the spot his personal and his team's second goal of the night.

The Saudis pressed forward after the breather to level the score and Ahli depended on counter attacks to go ahead.

It was 14 minutes when the home team scored their third goal capitalising on a blunder from the visiting goalie Mansour Al Naje, who went outside his box to block a long ball from Ahmed Shah only for Al Afwi to snatch and go to score the goal that was the winner of the match.

A controversial foul against Mohammed Qasim with Al Mishaal resulted in a free kick which rebounded from the bar following Suwayed shot only for Shah to foul Al Mishaal again and this Shaleyah was on target from 20 metres reducing the margin, 12 minutes before the end.

The referee Al Hail sent off Dubai club Al Ahli's Liberian midfielder Klevin for an incident which deserved only a yellow card and his decision made the team's fans angry as it occurred less than a minute from an incident at the other end when Faisal Khalil was deliberately kicked on the nose by a Saudi defender and the referee signalled for play to continue.

Klevin will miss the return leg in Jeddah on October 23 and his coach Jurcic Srecko will have to find solutions to the team's defence.