Abu Dhabi: Mercurial Montenegrin marksman Mirko Vucinic netted all four goals as Al Jazira went second in the Arabian Gulf League after edging a seven-goal thriller 4-3 at home to Al Ain on Sunday night.

The ex-Juventus man’s second hat-trick of the season means he now has 10 goals in just five games, six more than the second-highest goalscorer in the league, Al Ahli’s Luis Jimenez.

At the other end, Al Ain’s Jires Kembo-Ekoko scored twice, but could have emulated Vucinic’s tally if he had not wasted two prime opportunities in the first half.

Al Jazira enjoyed the better of the early exchanges of a hugely entertaining encounter, breaking quickly and confidently on the counter-attack.

Argentinian talisman Manuel Lanzini should have done better after being played through by Jonathan Pitroipa, but skewed his right-foot shot well wide after three minutes.
But it did not take long for Eric Gerets men to open the scoring when, after eight minutes, star striker Vucinic headed home Pitroipa’s lobbed cross at the back post following a sweeping move.

Al Ain were struggling for fluency in contrast, and their woes were summed up when Ebrahim Diaky headed well wide four minutes later.

The Garden City’s goalkeeper Khalid Issa then made a meal of Vucinic’s tame side-footer, palming it away for a corner when it would been easier to grasp the ball in both hands.
The game had now become a breathless, end-to-end affair, and Miroslav Stoch was becoming more and more instrumental for the away side, switching flanks to dangerous effect.

His cross into the box found no takers, however, while at the other end Vucinic blasted over after Pitroipa headed a knockdown into his path from Ali Mabkhout’s right-wing cross.
Al Jazira were made to pay for this miss when, after 25 minutes and completely against the run of play, UAE midfielder Mohammad Abdul Rahman rifled home a rasping, first-time finish from just inside the penalty area following Kembo-Ekoko’s assist.

Seven minutes later, Al Ain took the lead when Abdul Rahman was tripped from behind by Khalid Sabil in the penalty area and Kembo-Ekoko sent goalkeeper Ali Khaseif the wrong way from the spot.

Kembo-Ekoko then had two golden chances to put Al Ain further ahead, first lashing an angled half-volley wide and then blasting over the bar on the rebound after Stoch’s shot had been blocked by Khaseif.

Those misses were to prove costly when Vucinic grabbed his and Al Jazira’s second goal of the game when he expertly head home Mousa’s left-wing cross.

The bearded striker could have netted his hat-trick moments later, Mohammad Ahmad’s last-ditch challenge denying him as he prepared to shoot.

Yet 14 minutes after the break, he succeeded in scoring his second treble of the season following his haul against Emirates last month when he fired in a penalty via the post after Lanzini’s trickery provoked a trip from Ahmad.
The home side could have edged further ahead four minutes later, when Ali Mabkhout’s jinking run ended in a shot which was deflected wide for a corner

But the game took another sudden twist a minute later when Al Ain again scored out of the blue with another superb strike, Kembo-Ekoko lashing home a fierce side-footer after Abdul Rahman’s lacerating through ball.

Yet whatever he could do, the brilliant Vucinic could do just as well when, after 70 minutes, he scored his and Al Jazira’s fourth goal after racing clear of the pedestrian Al Ain defence after being played through by the impressive Pitroipa and slotting home with aplomb.

Despite late pressure from Ivan Dalic’s men, Al Ain could not restore parity and Al Jazira held on for the win to move two points behind league leaders and Abu Dhabi rivals, rivals Al Wahda.