Jazira roar to top of table

A record crowd cheered Al Jazira to the top of the Pro League table with a 3-1 victory over Al Wasl in the battle of the top contenders.

Al Jazira’s Ibrahim Diaky, right, was in great form against Al Wasl last night.

Al Jazira 3 // Al Wasl 1

ABU DHABI // A record crowd cheered Al Jazira to the top of the Pro League table with a 3-1 victory over Al Wasl in last night's battle of the top contenders.

Ibrahim Diaky scored in each half to take his tally to five goals in three games and Ahmed Jumaa, a substitute, added the clincher in the 86th minute in front of 28,164 spectators at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium.

Jazira's first goal came after 42 minutes when Subait Khater floated a pass to Saleh Basheer, who chipped it over the charging Majed Naser, the Wasl goalkeeper, and the ball bounced over Bare and Waheed Ismail, the Wasl defender, into the path of Diaky.

The Jazira midfielder doubled the lead 22 minutes into the second half when he made a solo run down the right flank before unleashing a powerful shot towards the edge of the near post to beat Naser.

Wasl pulled one back only four minutes later when Rashed Essa tapped in a cross from Alexandre Oliveira. But their hopes of a revival were dimmed when Mohammed Abdulla was given marching orders by Fahad Banihammad, the referee, eight minutes from time and Essa received a direct red for a retaliation in added time.

Jumaa, one of the two second half substitutes for Bare, the Brazilian forward, made an immediate impact. He made a strong run inside the area but didn't find any back-up for his pass in front of the Wasl goal. But he had more than ample consolation when he found the net with only four minutes of regular time left. Sergio Farias, the Wasl coach, said Diaky made the difference. "Both teams had chances to score in the first 30 minutes. It's the goal we conceded before the break that put us under pressure," he said.

Abel Braga, Farias' opposite number, said: "It was an important win. But that doesn't mean we have won the league."

In last night's other games, Jose Sand's spot-kick 20 minutes from time salvaged a 1-1 draw for Al Ain against Al Dhafra. But it was far from a result fans would have expected from a home game against lowly Dhafra.Boris Kabi, Dhafra's Ivorian forward, had volleyed a cross from the top edge of the box for a 25th-minute lead. The result leaves Al Ain on nine points in eighth place and Dhafra a couple of places below on seven.

Al Shabab eased to a 4-1 home win over the promoted Kalba to move up two places to fourth.

* Compiled by Amith Passela