Goal feast in Pro League's penultimate round

Dubai: A feast of attacking football leading to some high-scoring encounters characterised the penultimate week's action in the Etisalat Pro League on Friday evening.

Dubai's 5-2 mauling of Diego Maradona's Al Wasl was probably the outstanding performance of the night, while the relegation of Sharjah was confirmed following their 2-1 defeat to Ajman.

It was understandably an emotional night for the fans from Sharjah, who saw their team go 1-0 down on the half-hour mark when Tia Oliver scored for Ajman. Karim Karkar, by far one of the most stylish playmakers in the league this season, added a second seven minutes after the hour mark, and the writing was on the wall for Sharjah.

Brief hope

Brazilian Marcelo Oliveira da Silva did give them brief hope when he found the net after 86 minutes, but Ajman held on for the win to ensure Sharjah became the first of two teams relegated to Division One. Another noteworthy win came along the Al Aweer road, where Dubai hosted a jittery-looking Al Wasl.

The home team showed far more appetite for victory though, and this was rewarded when Hassan Mohammad put them ahead in the 27th minute only to see Mohammad Reza Khalatbari draw Al Wasl level in first-half injury time. However, Ali Hassan and Hassan Abdul Rahman struck after 60 and 67 minutes respectively to all but seal the points for Dubai.

Rashid Eisa pulled a goal back for Al Wasl with eight minutes remaining, before Hassan Mohammad grabbed his second goal of the game with three minutes left on the clock and Nicolas Marin completed the rout two minutes later to hand Diego Maradona's men a second successive loss. Dubai's final league encounter is away to Al Jazira, and even a defeat in this game won't matter as fellow strugglers Emirates, who are second from bottom, have a vastly inferior goal difference and look doomed. The Ras Al Khaimah club play host to Al Wahda in their final match after going down 5-3 to Al Nasr, currently in second.