Eisa denies victory to Al Nasr with late goal
dubai — Eisa Ahmed scored deep in stoppage time as Emirates rallied thrice to deny Al Nasr and hold The Blues to a 3-3 stalemate in the Arabian Gulf League at the Emirates Club Stadium on Wednesday night.
The club from Ras Al Khaimah had found themselves playing catch up after former Manchester City ace Alvardo Negredo had scored a brace and Samuel Rosa another. But each time, the clawed back with Cheick Diabate coming up with a double of his own before Eisa Ahmed fired his freekick into the net, in the seventh minute of stoppage time.
It was Al Nasr’s second consecutive draw after they had leaked points against Al Wahda following a 2-2 verdict at home last Friday. The Blues, who have just two wins from eight fixtures, have accumulated just eights points and sit 11th on the table.
Meanwhile, Emirates are placed two spots below with five points, following their second draw. They have just one win to show, a hardfought 3-2 victory against Dibba in September.
Elsewhere, it was another sixgoal thriller at the Kalba Union Sports & Cultural Club Stadium with Ajman nicking a 3-2 win against promoted Ittihad Kalba.
Vander Viera and Hassan Abdulrahman had give the visitors a twogoal cushion on 17 and 27 minutes but former Al Wahda man Balazs Dzsudzsak and Myke Ramos cancelled out those strikes by scoring on 34 and 57 minutes.
But then, Mame Baba scored 25 minutes from time, which eventually turned out to be the winner.
It was Ajman’s third win in eight outings and they are placed ninth with 10 points in their kitty. Meanwhile, Kalba suffered their fourth defeat of the season and they sit in seventh place, also with 10 points.
Al Nasr were up and running through their big signing Negredo, with the former Sevilla and Valencia striker latching on to an assist from Jassim Yaqoub and firing it home on 32 minutes for his sixth goal of the season.
But the lead lasted just four minutes as Cheick Diabate weaved his way past defender Khalifa Mubarak following a long cross from Waleed Juma, to slot it home. The hosts could have taken a lead going into halftime but Bakary Kone fluffed his chance from just outside the box.
Negredo came close after the restart but the 33-year-old Spaniard drilled his effort wide of the post.
Al Nasr had an anxious moment at the other end when Diabate came one-on-one with Al Nasr goalkeeper Ibrahim Essa Ali but the shot stopper pulled of a brilliant save.
Negredo was fouled inside the box and although the penalty was turned down initially, referee Yahya Al Mulla consulted VAR and reversed the decision. And Negredo was spot on with his spot kick for his seventh on 76 minutes.
Samule Rosa scored what appeared to be the winner with a clever backheel following another assist from Jassim Yaqoub, nine minutes from time but Eisa Ahmed denied Al Nasr the win.