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Karimi on his way to scoring the fourth goal against Bani Yas. © Gulf News

Al Ahli 5 Bani Yas 0
Al Khaleej 1 Al Nasr 1


Gulf News- Al Ahli routed Bani Yas 5-0 in the First division football league second round match held at Rashid stadium in Dubai yesterday. The win was sweet revenge for Al Ahli who lost 1-0 in the first round match held in Bani Yas.

In the second match played yesterday at Khor Fakkan, Al Nasr were held by lowly Al Khaleej to a 1-1 draw. Mohammed Ibrahim scored for Al Nasr in the 28th minute. Sengalese Dain Faie levelled for Al Khaleej after two minutes. Al Nasr stay in sixth place with 15 points while Al Khaleej remain anchored to the bottom with four points.

Iranians Ali Karimi and Salim Khamis were in a fine form yesterday as they led Al Ahli to their biggest win in the league so far. Al Ahli remain in the seventh place, despite their significant victory, with 15 points. Bani Yas are 11th with eight points.

Omani striker Hani Al Dhabit, the 2001 World's top scorer, played his first match for Bani Yas but failed to prevent his team from getting a drubbing. He was closely marked by Al Ahli defenders throughout the match.

In the very first minute, Salim Khamis nearly put Al Ahli ahead when he advanced inside the Bani Yas penalty area but shot straight into the keeper's safe hands. Abdullah Saleh responded with a left footer which whistled past the post.

Ali Karimi, attacking from the right, on two occasions went past several defenders. But his two attempts were off target.

In the 22nd minute, the Bani Yas custodian Shieban Saleh parried a Rasheed bin Mahmood shot for a corner. Salim Khamis took the corner and Mohammed Qassim scored Ahli's first goal with a fine header to the right of Shieban.

Al Ahli continued to attack with Karimi and Khamis losing two scoring chances in the 25th and 31st minutes.

Defender Qassim bagged the second yet again for Ahli in the 38th minute with a right footer following an accurate cross from the right by Issa Murad.

Yousuf Atiq scored the third for Ahli three minutes after the breather. Salim Khamsi crossed from the right and Atiq diverted the ball powerfully to the left of the Bani Yas keeper. Al Ahli - aided by good work in the midfield from Ahmed Shah, Rasheed, Salim Khamis with Issa Murad and Khalid Shah Dad attacking from the flanks - kept pressing against the Bani Yas goal.

This pressure paid off when Ali Karimi scored the fourth in the 57th minute. Rasheed put Karimi through and the latter slipped past the keeper and two defenders before he slammed the ball into the empty net.

Bani Yas frontliners Hani Al Dhabit, Mohammed Hasan, Hamad Saleh, tried to break through the Al Ahli defence, but they were marked closely by Mashmoom, Abdullah Shah, Qassim. Thus failing to beat the Ahli goalkeeper, Ali Saeed.

Moroccan midfielder Rasheed bin Mahmood completed the rout by scoring the fifth from the spot in the 70th minute when Bani Yas defender Abdul Jalil Rashid brought down Ali Karimi inside the box. Rasheed converted the spot kick sending the keeper the wrong way.

Today's match: Al Wasl v Al Wahda (kickoff 8:10 pm).

 

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