Calderon applauds Yeste's hard work

Dubai: Bani Yas coach Gabriel Calderon paid tribute to his new recruit Francisco Yeste following his team's fighting 2-1 win against Al Nasr in the eighth round of the etisalat Cup here late on Thursday.

"We made a mistake and paid for it with a goal, but we did well to collect full points, thanks to the hard work done by Yeste. Both his goals came from two very good kicks and that is what made all the difference for us against a quality team like Al Nasr," Calderon told the media at the post-match conference.

"We all know how tough it is to play against Al Nasr. They defend and then play quick counter-attacks. In the first half, we made one mistake and went behind. But the quality of Yeste's shots on goal were enough to give us full points," the Argentinean added.

Yeste smashed two identical shots in the 54th and 88th minutes from the top of the box on both occasions to cancel out Jamal Abdullah's 39th-minute strike for the home side. The win did not make any significant change for Bani Yas as they continued in fourth position with 11 points, while Al Nasr remained in fifth with eight points to their credit.

But it was Yeste — who made a second coming in the UAE during the January transfer window — who caught everyone's attention with his two goals. "He [Yeste] is an important part of my planning, not just because of the space he creates, but also due to his other attributes like his passing, his corner kicks, free kicks and his positional play. Along with all this, he is also very clear in his thinking as a footballer," Calderon said.

On the other hand, Al Nasr coach Walter Zenga was left searching for answers for a rare home defeat.