Abu Dhabi: Derbies are often dour and attritional affairs, but Al Jazira's 3-2 victory over Al Wahda in the Arabian Gulf League on Friday evening was anything but.

There were five goals, the last of which was a contender for goal of the season from Al Jazira substitute Yasir Mattar right at the death, and two contrasting halves.

Al Jazira deservedly led the Abu Dhabi Clasico at the break thanks to goals from last season's AGL top goalscorer, Mirko Vucinic, and Ali Mabkhout.

But relentless pressure from the visitors and careless errors from the home side allowed Al Wahda to draw level with minutes remaining through Sebastian Tagliabue's brace.

A point was merited on the balance of play but, in injury time, substitute Mattar unleashed a magnificent right-footed shot from 30 yards which arrowed into the top corner to give the home side a precious three points.

Abel Braga's men had made a storming start, taking the lead after 11 minutes when Vucinic scored his first goal of a strangely fallow season, the Montenegrin steering a well-place header past Adil Al Hosani in the visitors' goal.

Fourteen minutes later and it was 2-0 when Mabkhout capitalised on appalling marking to gallop clear and slot home with ease.

Mabkhout was combining well with Jefferson Farfan in attack and the home side might have increased their lead before half-time if the pair had been more clinical and precise.

Al Wahda offered little in response, meanwhile, clearly missing playmaker Jorge Valdivia, who is serving a two-match ban for making an alleged rude gesture to fans in Sunday's 1-0 home loss to Al Shabab.

Whatever coach Javier Aguirre had said at the break made a major impact, however, as his side were an altogether more potent proposition in the second half.

Hamdan Al Kamali struck the crossbar with a fine effort with the outside of his boot from Tagliabue's right-wing cross eight minutes after the restart.

At the other end, Mabkhout slashed a shot wide before Tagliabue pulled a goal back for the visitors when goalkeeper Ali Khaseif inexplicably allowed the Argentinian striker's tame shot to squirm from his grasp and into the net.

At the other end, Vucinic lashed wide when well placed, but it was the visitors who were in the ascendancy, creating a flurry of chances in a frantic finish.

Mohammad Al Daheri beat the onrushing Khaseif to a through ball, but saw his effort creep agonisingly just past the post, while veteran striker and captain Esmail Mattar blazed over.

But the vibrant visitors' unremitting pressure eventually yielded deserved dividends on the stroke of full-time and it was due to another Al Jazira mistake.

Farfan clumsily brought down Tagliabue in the area and the striker picked himself to fire the resultant penalty high into the net.

Al Wahda's supporters unconfined joy turned to despair in the closing seconds, however, when Mattar's screamer gave Braga's men their second win out of their first three games.