Dubai: Shabab Al Ahli Dubai recovered sufficiently to hold current leaders Al Ain to a 1-1 draw in 14th round action of the Arabian Gulf League (AGL), late on Friday.
Tied goalless at the end of the first half, visiting Al Ain took the lead in the 66th minute through a Marcus Berg goal, while lanky Saeed Jassim came off the bench to equalize in the 77th minute and earn the home team a crucial point.
The result changed nothing with Al Ain managing to stay at the top of the standings with 32 points and an unbeaten record so far, while the former champions from Dubai remained stuck in sixth taking their tally to 17.
Much of the exchanges went the Al Ain way and was it not for the grit and discipline of the Shabab Al Ahli Dubai defence the result could well have been totally different.
With the possession stats going their way it was just a question of time when the visitors would construct meaningful attacks on the home goal.
\The first clear intent on goal came about only in the 26th minute when Berg played out to Ahmad Khalil on the right and then darted in to lend a header to the national team striker’s cross and missed the target narrowly.
Thrown on the back foot, the home side managed a move of their own in the 38th minute but debutant Ante Erceg was outpaced by the delivery from Esmail Al Hammadi. The visitors came roaring back in the very next minute as Ahmad Barman had a clear look at goal from a deep ball from Hussain Al Shahar, but the defensive midfielder shot wide off the mark.
Al Ain changed their tack in the second half as the visitors went on an all-out attack. They remained patient with Mohammad Abdul Rahman in the thick of things on two occasions. The first was five minutes after opening and the second was a minute away from the hour mark. And on both instances the younger brother of the suspended star Omar ballooned over with only Majid Nasser on the home goal.
Finally, Berg broke the deadlock in the 66th minute when the 31-year-old former Hamburger and Panathinaikos curled in a fine left-footer after receiving a lovelt ball from Brazilian Caio Fernandes.
The visitors’ joy was short-lived as substitute Jassim was at the right place at the right time to head in a cross from Haikal to fetch Mahdi Ali’s team a vital point in the competition.
After that Al Ain pressed hard for a match-winner, but were denied twice by the framework, much to the relief of the home camp.
RESULT
Shabab Al Ahli Dubai x Al Ain 1-1
