Dubai: A full strength Al Nasr took more than an hour to break down Al Jazira’s second string before recording a 1-0 win in the opening group game of the Arabian Gulf Cup at Al Maktoum Stadium here on Thursday.
Macedonian striker Ivan Trickovski finally broke the deadlock against an all-Emirati side when he headed home from Fahad Hadid’s cross on 67 minutes to hand the home side victory.
The Blue Wave could have opened their account through Trickovski as early as the tenth minute, when the summer signing’s volley from Brett Holman’s cross was palmed wide by Al Jazira keeper Khalid Al Sanani.
Undeterred, Holman tried another cross-cum-shot midway through the first half, which caught Al Sanani unawares. The keeper got a hand to the effort but tipped it onto his own post, leading to a goalmouth scramble to gather the ball before Ebrahima Toure could swing at the follow-up.
Al Jazira’s only first half chance came from a Yassir Al Janaibi free kick on the half-hour that was struck straight at Al Nasr keeper Ahmad Al Shambieh.
Khalifa Ghanim then headed a clear chance wide for Al Nasr from Holman’s corner before the interval, as the Oud Metha outfit went in at the break questioning their luck.
Al Jazira came out in the second half with more urgency as Al Janaibi’s free kick on the hour forced Al Shambieh to punch clear before Saif Saeed could get his head to the effort.
Sultan Saeed then went on a mazy run around Al Nasr’s defence, having received a long ball from upfield, only to strike inches wide.
Al Nasr’s patience eventually paid off after the hour, when Trickovski got on the end of Hadeed’s cross with a thunderous header. And Toure almost added a second from a similar pass from Ahmad Esmail moments later, before heading over from Trickovski’s cross before time.
Elsewhere, Ittihad Kalba stunned Al Ain 1-0 away thanks to a 66th minute penalty from Brazilian midfielder Danilo Petrolli Bueno.
Friday’s Arabian Gulf Cup games see Al Dhafra entertain Fujairah and Bani Yas travel to Sharjah, before Al Shabab host Al Wasl.
