Dubai: Al Nasr provided the response coach Ivan Jovanovic was looking for by beating Iran’s Sepahan 2-0 at home in the second group match of the Asian Champions League on Tuesday.
The Oud Mehta outfit, who have only won once in their last five Arabian Gulf League matches, were knocked out of the President’s Cup Last 16 with a 5-4 defeat to Sharjah on Saturday, and had lost their opening Asian Champions League group game 2-0 away to Sepahan in Isfahan, last Tuesday.
However, they were able to rally together a much needed victory for their under fire manager who had appealed for a reaction from his players in the pre-match conference.
Nilmar opened the scoring on 57 minutes and Jonathon Pitroipa added a second from the spot in stoppage time to complete the turnaround.
Al Nasr were awarded an indirect free kick inside the area early on after a Sepahan defender passed back to the keeper, but the visitors packed the goal line and Jires Kembo Ekoko’s effort was kept out.
Blue Wave keeper Ahmad Shambieh then kept the hosts in it when he plucked out Abdollah Karimi’s header in from Senijad Ibricic’s free kick before the half hour.
Pitroipa teed up Tariq Ahmad in space and on the edge of the area on 40 minutes, but after he chested the ball down he then struck his volley over.
The best first half chance fell to Sepahan’s Hossein Fazeli who found himself free at the back post from Ibricic’s cross, only to watch the ball ricochet back off his shins and into the keeper’s hands just before the interval.
Nilmar eventually put the hosts ahead after the break by scooping Hussain Juma’s cross back over his head and into an empty net, fooling both his marker and the ensuing keeper. The Brazilian then ran in from the side only to shoot straight at the keeper from close range moments later.
Al Nasr continued in their search for a second with Juma shooting over from Ekoko’s pass soon after and Nilmar again firing over from Salem Saleh’s assist. But a second finally did come deep in stoppage time when Saleh was tripped by keeper Shahab Gordan in the box ready for Pitroipa to bury from the spot.
