Ben Malango scores twice as 10-man Sharjah beat Al Wasl in five-goal thriller

Salah sent off early for hosts before Malango's introduction sets up 3-2 comeback win

Sharjah substitute Ben Malango celebrates the first of his two strikes in a 3-2 win against Al Wasl. Courtesy Pro League

Ben Malango came off the bench to score twice for 10-man Sharjah to clinch a thrilling 3-2 win over Al Wasl on Friday to maintain their perfect record in the Adnoc Pro League.

The Congolese forward struck his first goal six minutes after his introduction on 65 minuted and the winner four minutes into added time at the Sharjah Stadium.

Sharjah suffered an early blow when defender Al Hassan Saleh was sent off by referee Hamad Ali Yousef for a foul inside the area.

Fabio Lima stepped forward to take the penalty and successfully converted to put the visitors ahead on 12 minutes. The visitors doubled the lead when Sharjah defender Abdullah Ghanem turned a Lima cross into his own net on the hour.

Sharjah pulled a goal back through Brazilian Caio's spot kick awarded for a foul on Luan Pereira.

Malango levelled the score from Pereira’s assist before hammering home the winner with a fierce shot from outside the area.

Al Wahda were left to rue a host of missed chances as they were held to a scoreless draw at Khorfakkan while Emirates and Al Dahfra picked up their first points of the campaign following a 1-1 draw.

The Senegalese forward Makhete Diop put Dhafra ahead on 12 minutes only to see it cancelled out seven minutes from time by Goseph Gnado, the Ivorian striker curling in the ball to the right corner of the net.