Dubai: Defending champions Al Wasl clawed their way back from a seemingly hopeless situation to snatch a point off visiting Al Wahda in an entertaining 4-4 draw in the etisalat UAE National Football League on Friday.
Trailing 2-4 ten minutes from the final whistle, Al Wasl were rescued by timely goals from skipper Mohammad Salem Al Enazi and a blistering 45-yard crack from Tariq Hassan for an entertaining draw.
That result negated a fine brace from Al Wahda's talented striker Mohammad Al Shehi, who had put his side on the road to victory with strikes in the 36th and 52nd minutes.
The result gave the former champions a lifeline as they continue in tenth place with 15 points to snatch a bit of a respite from bottom placed Hatta (13 points) and Emirates Club (11), while Al Wasl stay put in seventh place with 23 points.
Mistakes
In another match, Sharjah moved into temporary second place with 32 points - just one adrift of current leaders Al Shabab - with a 2-0 win against Al Dhafra, who continue in ninth with 21 points.
If at all there is one person who could be held responsible for an entertaining encounter it has to be Al Wasl goalkeeper Majid Nasser, who does not seem to have learnt from past mistakes.
The goalkeeper was caught out of position for the second time in as many matches within a week as Al Wasl nearly paid the price on home turf. The national team goalkeeper had been caught off guard in a similar manner by Brazilian striker Caeser in their 2-0 loss to Al Ahli in the President's Cup final last Monday.
Empty net
Till that Al Shehi goal things were on even par with Al Wahda drawing first blood off an 18th minute penalty conversion from Feliciano Pinga, while Rogiero Silva sunk in the equaliser on the half hour mark for the home team.
But six minutes later Nasser strayed out of his area and the UAE national team striker coolly lobbed in high into an empty net even as the home team goalkeeper tried to scramble home.
Al Wahda looked far more purposeful both in their approach and their display but Yasser Salim found the equaliser for the home team in the 49th minute. Al Shehi made it 3-2 in the 52nd minute and Hamdan Esmail added a fourth five minutes later to put the capital side in the driving seat.
Al Wasl skipper Al Enazi headed in a Tariq Darwish cross in the 80th minute and Tariq Hassan blasted in with five minutes remaining to rescue a point.
