Al Ahli demolish Al Shabab in a one-sided match

Ali Karimi (left) attempts to tackle Ibrahim Ali, the Al Shabab defender, in their league match yesterday. © Gulf News

GulfNews

Al Ahli demolished Al Shabab 5-1 and pushed them further down deep in the relegation zone which will be the Shabab destiny if they failed to beat Sharjah next week.

The significant win was a sweet revenge for Ahli who lost the league title last year due to the defeat they got from Shabab, also Shabab beat them in a similar situation in 1996 when they were in need to beat Shabab, but the latter beat them and that defeat resulted in Ahli relegated to the second division.

"How can we forget, they denied us of winning the league title last season and were behind our relegation before six years. We played to win and our players did an excellent job by scoring five goals," claimed one of Ahli jubilant supporters after the match.

Al Ahli raised their points tally to 30 in the fifth place, while Shabab in 10th place with 18 points and must win their final match if they want to stay in the First division.

In the other matches which was all played yesterday at the same time, Al Khaleej revived their hope of staying in the First division after they defeated Al Shaab 3-2 at Khor Fakkan stadium. Al Khaleej have 15 points at the bottom and must beat Bani Yas and Al Shabab lose to Sharjah in the league's last week. Al Shaab have 34 point in the fourth place.

Al Ittihad escaped away from the relegation zone when they defeated Sharjah by a solitary goal scored by Ibrahim Mohammed three minutes from time at Sharjah stadium. Al Ittihad are ninth with 23 points and Sharjah stayed seventh with 27 points.

Al Nasr got their sixth defeat in the league this season when they were defeated at home by Al Wasl 2-1. Farhad Majiedi (31 minute) and Jasim Bilal (49) scored for Wasl with Walid Murad hit Nasr goal in 78th minute. Wasl become sixth with 30 points and Nasr eighth with 25 points.

Ahmed Shah opened the score for Ahli after 11 minutes from kick off when he headed home Salim Khamis cross following a free kick from the right. Salim Saad of Shabab was unlucky to see his shot hit the cross bar in 20th minute.

After three minutes Rashid bin Mahmood scored Ahli second when Ali Karimi went past three Shabab defenders and passed to Rashid who shot to the left of Hasan Sherrif Shabab custodian. Ahli continued pressing and Karimi caused panic to Shabab defenders, again he went past two of them, his shot was on it's way to hit the net, Shabab defender Issa Mohammed tried to clear it, but he put it in the roof of the net in 28th minute.

Shabab tried through attempts by Salim Saad and his brothers Khamis and Bakhit, but in vain with Ahli defence led by Mohammed Qassim were rock solid. At the stroke of half time Rashid scored the fourth for Ahli following a cross by Adel Abdul Aziz from the left.

Al Shabab came in the second half frustrated following the first session heavy defeat, they tried to attack but without real threat. Shabab coach brought in Yousuf Fikri and Khamis Salim in place of Salim and Khamis Saad.

Bakhit Saad scored a consolation for Shabab in 58th minute, but was not enough to reduce the big deficit. Shihab Abdullah completed the rout by scoring the fifth in 69th minute with a spectacular drive from 30 meters. Al Ahli dominated the match in the last 20 minutes without letting Shabab strikers threaten their custodian Ali Saeed until the final whistle.