ABU DHABI // Al Wahda outclassed the Super Cup winners Al Ahli last night to maintain their great start in the Etisalat Pro League. They were 2-0 ahead after four minutes and victory was virtually assured by half-time to take their season's tally to seven points on a steamy night at the Al Nahyan Stadium.
Wahda's talismanic forward Ismail Matar opened the scoring in the second minute with a simple tap-in from a loose ball that was misjudged by goalkeeper Obaid Tawila, and two minutes later Brazilian Pinga doubled the lead with a neat low shot off a weak clearance from Obaid Khalifa to beat Tawila, who was caught out of position, from more than 30 yards Basheer Saeed could have added the third when the defender, following up from a move he started from his own half, headed wide in front of an open goal off a well-timed cross from Abdulraheem Jumaa.
Jumaa did eventually strike the third for the home side after Fahed Masoud split the defence for his captain to draw Tawila out of from his goal, before hammering into an empty net nine minutes before half-time. And Basheer did not want to be left out of the party when he went up for a corner to head the fourth for his side 12 minutes into the second half. It came after Wahda had missed out twice after Pinga and Masoud had both hit a post.
Shortly before half-time, a mistake by the Wahda goalkeeper Ali Rabee gave Ahli some consolation, if not a little hope. Rabee had made a couple of good saves, but he was badly at fault when he allowed the ball to slip out of his hands following a dipping cross from the right from Bader Yaqoot. Wahda were reduced to 10 men after the Tunisian Karim Alawadi was sent off after his second booking. But with a three-goal advantage, Wahda never looked like letting the lead slip, as they continued to attack.
Rabee, meanwhile, covered up his earlier mistake with a couple of fine saves. He first denied substitute Adel Abdul Aziz when he blocked a hard shot from inside the penalty area and then saved a free-kick from Salem Khamees. Basheer, Hamdan al Kamali and Omar Ali were solid in defence and the trio saw off the threat from Bare, who looked dangerous whenever he got into the area. Surprisingly, Wahda and Ahli began the game at full strength with their international players taking the field despite earlier reports that they would be rested.
The Wahda coach Ahmed Abdulhaleem left out Mohammed al Shehhi and Haider Ali from the line-up. The UAE's talismanic striker Matar was replaced by Shehhi in the last two minutes of the game, and he made an immediate impact with a good run on the Ahli goal from his first touch of the ball. apassela@thenational.ae
