Abu Dhabi: Al Ain finally ended league leaders Al Wahda’s dream run in the Arabian Gulf League by handing an authoritative 4-0 drubbing at the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium on Wednesday.
For Al Ain, Miroslav Stoch scored a brace after Diaky Ibrahim and Fares Juma had struck with a goal apiece.
Such was Wahda’s dominance so far in the league that they had not lost in 20 games stretching back to January early this year which also included 10 matches from last season.
However, yesterday, they were in a spot of bother right from the start in the absence of their Argentinian striker Sebastian Tagliabue, who had to fly back home to due to his brother’s ill health. Wahda defense was a big letdown and were found wanting all through the match.
There was no Omar Abdulrahman, Asamoah Gyan but Al Ain were at the task at hand. And once they took an early lead through Ibrahim, they were simply all over their opponents.
The veteran medio put the home team in the lead in the 13th minute after latching on to a long ball and despite having three defenders in front of him managed to find the goal with a pin point finish.
Eight minutes later, a clever free-kick by Stoch found Juma, who quickly sent in a cross after making a run down the left and Juma rose high enough to slot home with a neat header (2-0).
Then in 39th minute, Stoch himself got into the scoring act and widened the lead to 3-0. A measured through ball by South Korean recruit Lee Myung Joo and Stoch dibbled past a defender and blasted the ball into the roof of the goal.
Al Ain continued to torment Al Wadha even after the change of ends and Stoch added on to the misery in the 69th minute. It was another defense splitting run from the Slovakian, obliging to a fine through ball from Ibrahim found the goal with a neat placement.
That goal was enough to completely remove the wind out of the sails of Al Wahda and they played out the remaining time without offer much of a fight.
