Al Jazira 2-0 Al Ain
Jazira: Mabkhout 82’, 90
Man of the match: Ali Mabkhout (Jazira)
ABU DHABI // Ali Mabkhout bundled the ball home, with eight minutes remaining and with questions lingering regarding Al Jazira’s championship resolve, and the hosts’ bench took off down the touchline towards him.
The UAE striker struck his 25th of the 2016/17 Arabian Gulf League campaign, but few more important than this, notching the first of a double at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium on Wednesday night against a superior Al Ain side.
Mabkhout met substitute Ailton Almeida’s flick-on, reacted fastest than the visitors’ defence and prodded the ball across the line. It was a poacher’s goal, displaying all the instincts that have lifted Mabkhout to the top of the season’s goalscoring charts and, with them, carried his team to within touching distance of the title. Just to make sure, he added a second in injury time.
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■ See also: Al Ahli keep pace with win over Al Dhafra
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With five rounds left to play, Jazira are six points clear and staring down a second UAE top-flight crown.
“We played the best footballing team in the league, with the most quality,” said Henk ten Cate, the Jazira manager. “But sometimes only football is not enough. If you look at Al Jazira, the whole season already everybody is fighting, everybody is working their socks off and we are a very strong team and are difficult to beat. I realise we don’t have the best football players but I think we have the best team.
“It was a very difficult game, but the team showed the right spirit, they fought. I’m a very happy coach, we took three points in a very important game. And the dream continues.”
Al Ain could have helped wreck that dream. They had actually the better of the first half, although Jazira threatened early on through Mabkhout. That time, his shot was aimed straight at Khalid Essa in the away goal. Then, on 18 minutes, Leonardo failed the hit the target on the stretch following Mbark Boussoufa’s square pass.
Yet from there Al Ain found their rhythm. First Caio miscued his shot when played in by Lee Myung-joo, then Danilo Asprilla wasted a chance to work Ali Kasheif after a fine through ball from Omar Abdulrahman.
Direcly after half time, Abdulrahman could have gotten on the scoresheet himself. The Al Ain captain collected Caio’s cross with an expert touch, slide at the vital moment and directed his shot well wide of the Jazira goal.
Suddenly, they looked the most likely to break the deadlock, with defender Rashed Muhayer volleying just over the hosts’ crossbar and Caio forcing Kasheif into an acrobatic stop. In the 72nd minute, stumbling substitute Ibrahim Diaky blazed the ball both high and wide.
Al Ain were nearly made to pay not long after, but a header from Ailton was tipped over his own goal by Essa. The stage was set for Mabkhout’s telling touch, though, a goal that ensured Jazira’s 100 per cent home record – 10 wins from 10 games - sustains, a goal that tightens their grip a little more on the AGL trophy. Al Ain defeated, the capital club will take some knocking from their perch now.
jmcauley@thenational.ae
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