Al Wahda make merry against Dibba

No niceties of hospitality were displayed by Al Wahda as they trounced guests Dibba Al Fujairah 9-0 at Al Nahyan Stadium yesterday, to maintain their lead in the second group of the first round of the President's Cup.

It was mainly a one-sided affair. Al Wahda's players dominated all the action and launched a barrage of attacks against their visitors' goal.

Dibba Al Fujairah, a second division club, were thoroughly outplayed in all departments and were lucky that the hosts did not convert all the chances that came their way.

Al Wahda's head coach,Tini Ruijs, could even afford to give an opportunity to three youngsters. Things were so good for Al Wahda that midway through the second half, the experienced trio of Yasir Salim, Abdul Salam Jumaa and Al Hay Jumaa were replaced.

Yasir was dynamic in the left flank and created the first goal when he sent Ismail Matar, a member of the UAE under 19 team, clear, breaking the one-line-defence adopted by the visitors. Matar shot into the roof of the net giving Al Wahda the lead only six minutes into the match.

Brazilian Paolo Sergio, who was signed from Bayern Munich this season, added the second goal, 11 minutes later, making good use of another cross from Yasir.

Dibba should have scored a consolation goal as early as the 19th minute when Saeed Rashid found himself clear inside the penalty box. He went past Adeeb Obaid, the home team's libero, but his shot rebounded off Hussain Ali, the Al Wahda's custodian.

Then, with a wide open goal and the goalkeeper still recovering, Rashid shot wide, squandering the only chance that came his team's way in the entire encounter.

Dibba were soon punished for losing that chance, three minutes on, when Sergio returned the favour to Yasir, who was bang on target for his team's third goal.

Abdul Salam sent a penetrating pass that broke the off side trap and Castillo, their Colombian forward, was clear to go past the visitors' 'keeper and score the fourth goal, 10 minutes before the interval.

Then Matar charged forward from his midfield position, and converted a pass from Sergio to add the fifth goal, four minutes later.

Yasir went into another of his mesmerising left flank runs and his cross was placed into the back of the net by Castillo with pin-point precision. Three minutes to go for the break, and the sixth goal for Al Wahda.

Then Yasir himself added the seventh in the last minute of the first half, when Tawfig Abdul Razzag changed places with him and crossed from the left. The Al Wahda players started the second half from where they had left off, pressing for more goals.

Castillo was on target seven minutes after the breather, following a cross from the right by Saeed Khamis, to complete his well deserved hat-trick. Then, the match wrapped up, Tini made his changes, giving a chance to Salih Hamad, Ali Jumaa and Ali Allo Ali.

Paolo Sergio reminded the fans of the Brazilian Samba style of free kicks when his curling shot from outside the penalty area went into the far corner of the net for his team's ninth and last goal, 15 minutes into the second half.