Dubai
Defending champions Dubai Police went to the top of Group A with a resounding 8-0 thrashing of a depleted Sharjah Falcon on the third night of the Eighth Maktoum Bin Rashid Memorial Football Tournament being played at the Dubai Police Officers Club.
The hosts led 3-0 at half-time and then added another five in the second after Sharjah Falcon were down by a man following a red card to Abdul Aziz Mohammad. Mansour Abbas opened the scoring in the ninth minute while Abdullah Darwish and Mohammad Al Shehi added one each for Dubai Police to go in with a 3-0 lead at half-time.
In the second half, Sanad Ali and Mohammad Sabil were on target within two minutes to make it 5-0, while Mansour Abbas added one in the 27th minute. Walid Ahmad then was on target in the 30th and 31st minutes to complete the rout and leave Sharjah Falcon at the bottom of the group.
Dubai Police are now at the top of the group with four points on a better goal difference from Dubai Civil Defence – who were held to a 2-2 draw by Leader Sport. Ali Yaqoub scored in the sixth minute to put Leader Sport clear, only to see Adnan Hussain equalise in the tenth minute for Dubai Civil Defence.
The Dubai team took the lead for the first time through Darwish Ahmad, but Mana’e Saeed came off the bench to find the equaliser in the last minute for Leader Sport, who now have two points after two drawn encounters so far.
In Group B matches, the Mohammad Ali Taim team were held to a 2-2 draw by debutants Al Khoury Hotels and Al Fursan recovered from their opening day’s defeat to register a narrow 3-2 win over Abu Dhabi Police. The Mohammad Ali Taim team in now at the top of the group with four points followed by the Late Ebrahim Marouf team and Al Fursan with three points apiece.
Matches are held every night at 10 pm and 11 pm with the knockout quarter-finals being slated for May 31. The final will be played on June 4.
