AGL champions Al Ahli heap more woe on Al Jazira’s shaky defence

Jazira coach Eric Gerets left fuming after capital side's defence found wanting once again

Grafite of Al Ahli celebrates scoring during the Arabian Gulf League match against Al Jazira at Rashid Stadium in Dubai on October 18, 2014. Courtesy Al Ittihad

DUBAI // Eric Gerets, the Al Jazira coach, was seething on Saturday night after another woeful defensive performance saw the capital club drubbed 4-2 by defending champions Al Ahli.

Making a nervous start in front of a noisy home crowd, Ahli were fortunate to take the lead in the 23rd minute when Grafite, coming from an offside position, headed home.

Jazira levelled the scores before the break, when Basheer Saeed deflected Jonathan Pitroipa's cross into his own net, but the visitors then imploded in the second half with Ismail Al Hammadi and Carlos Munoz scoring within a minute of each other before Grafite rubbed further salt into Jazira's wounds with his second of the night.

“You can be sure the best team won,” Gerets said. “Every time they were in our half, they were ­dangerous. Too many stupid goals, big mistakes, and then you don’t score goals. What more can I say?

“Fortunately we scored a goal in the first half, and we wanted to play much more offensive in the second half and not wait for us to concede another goal.

“But like the first half, we submitted yet again. There is no good explanation for the way we played.”

Jazira have conceded 14 goals from six league matches this season, with only Kalba (16) conceding more.

The team has only one clean sheet – against Emirates – and Gerets cannot fathom the schoolboy errors his defenders continue to make.

“It is not something new that we received too many goals, and disappointment is a small word after this game,” he said.

“I had a look in the dressing room and there is more disappointment and frustration there than the ­outside.

“We will need one or two days to talk about all that went wrong, again unfortunately. If we can take our lessons this time, maybe we will not commit these stupid mistakes that lead to goals every time.”

Cosmin Olaroiu, the Ahli coach, had no such complaints about his players and said he was pleased with their performance, which helps them to close the gap on leaders Al Wahda to three points.

The Romanian, however, is more worried about the next game at Al Dhafra.

“A victory always brings victory, and I keep saying that,” Olaroiu said. “But for me, the Dhafra game is more difficult.

“I am not comparing the teams, but when you are playing against a top team like Jazira, mentally you are ready.

“When you are playing teams like Dhafra, you could start thinking it is an easy game and that is the danger we need to guard against.”

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