Dubai: A last-minute wonder strike from Mahmoud Khamis handed Al Nasr a 1-0 win at home to Al Dhafra in match day eight of the Arabian Gulf League on Tuesday.
In Tuesday night’s other early kick-off, Mirko Vucinic bagged his third hat-trick of the season and Jonathon Pitroipa added a fourth to put Al Jazira second in the table with a 4-0 win away to Ittihad Kalba. The Montenegrin former Juventus striker is now top of the goalscorer’s charts on 13 goals in eight league matches.
Al Dhafra had looked to be on course for their seventh draw from the opening eight games of the season with a goalless stalemate until Khamis’ long range effort from the wing sailed into the top right hand corner.
The salvage act enabled The Blue Wave to consolidate their top four status to leapfrog Al Ahli and Al Ain – who drew 1-1 in their match together on Monday.
Humam Tariq and Saif Mohammad both rattled the woodwork for Al Dhafra early on. Tariq’s effort was from a diving header to follow-up on a poorly cleared cross and Mohammad’s chance came from a close-range freekick.
Between both efforts, Yousuf Kaddioui found himself through on goal but struck straight at the keeper and Makhete Diop was later beaten to a cross at the near post as the visitors continued to dominate.
Al Nasr’s best chances came when Ahmad Ebrahim blazed over and Ebrahima Toure scuffed a shot, either side of the half hour mark. Mahmoud Khamis and Ivan Trickovski unleashed sprung-loaded shots to trouble the Al Dhafra keeper before the hour as Al Nasr came out for the second half with more conviction. Toure then headed straight at the keeper from a corner as the home side upped the tempo.
A late goalmouth scramble from a corner that trickled through to Toure had looked to be Al Nasr’s last chance of breaking the deadlock, but just before time Khamis came up with the goods.
