Dubai: Al Shabab moved into third place in the Arabian Gulf League on Sunday night after overcoming plucky Fujairah 1-0 at home thanks to Edgar Silva’s 85th-minute strike.
Caio Junior’s men thereby stole a march on Al Wahda in the fight for the third and final guaranteed AFC Champions League qualification spot, as their narrow victory took them to 45 points, three ahead of the Abu Dhabi outfit.
Al Wahda can move ahead of Al Shabab if they beat newly-crowned league champions Al Ain on Monday evening, as they have a superior head-to-head record against their rivals.
However, it could have been a different story for the Hawks, who failed to live up to their predatory nickname by squandering a host of chances, most notably from second-half substitute Eisa Obaid.
That said, Fujairah carved out a succession of opportunities of their own thanks to an impressive display of pace and power on the counter-attack.
It was all Al Shabab in the opening stages and Edgar should have given the rampant hosts the lead, only to head over from Carlos Villanueva’s corner when unmarked in the penalty area.
Yet the visitors were sprightly in attack in response and it took a stunning goal-line clearance from Mohammad Marzouq to deny them from breaking the deadlock after 23 minutes.
At the other end, Villanueva volleyed against the crossbar after a flowing move, before Azizbek Haydarov fired narrowly wide after a delightful interplay embellished by a deft chest trap from Villanueva.
Fujairah remained admirably committed to an exciting counter-attacking game, however, and pierced the hosts’ rearguard at will, Hassan Maatouk wasting a good chance from close range as half-time loomed.
The second half began in similar fashion to the first for dominant Al Shabab, with Mohammad Rowaihy forced to tip Haydarov’s cross-cum-shot from a free-kick over the bar, before Henrique Luvannor headed over from the resultant corner.
But Fujairah’s pace and power provided constant consternation for Caio’s side and the zestful away side almost snatched the lead from a free-kick deflected behind.
However, this was truly a tit-for-tat encounter, as Al Shabab responded immediately through Villanueva’s rasping drive, which Rowaihy palmed away straight to the lurking Edgar, who blazed over.
Moments later, Obaid rattled the crossbar with a half-volley from Edgar’s headed knockdown, before Fujairah spurned the chance of the game to take the lead when Maatouk had only the goalkeeper to beat but was thwarted by Abdullah’s superlative save with his foot.
Yet this sitter paled into insignificance when the profligate Obaid headed wide from two yards out with seven minutes left on the clock from another headed assist from Edgar.
However, two minutes later, Al Shabab’s incessant pressure was finally rewarded when Edgar swept in Luvannor’s left-wing cross high into the net.
In the day’s other early game, last year’s league champions Al Ahli cruised to a comfortable 3-0 win at already relegated Kalba, thanks to first-half goals from Abdul Aziz Sanqour and Everton Ribeiro and a third from UAE international Habib Al Fardan in the second period.