Gregory Dufrennes scored in the fourth minute of injury time as little Kalba overcame a deficit and handed Baniyas a damaging 2-1 defeat in the Pro League last night.
The second-placed side from Abu Dhabi had been hoping to keep pace with leaders Al Jazira, but the loss to the promoted side who remain bottom of the table left Baniyas 10 points back with seven matches to play.
The visitors looked on their way in the 43rd minute when Andre Senghor, the towering Senegalese striker, converted a cross from the midfielder Theyab Awana into his league-leading 14th goal. With the playmaker Amer Abdulrahman back after a two-month injury absence, Baniyas seemed primed to regain their fine early season form.
However, Kalba's Elias de Oliveira, the striker from Brazil, beat the offside trap and scored past Mohammed Ghuloom to level the game in the 77th minute.
Baniyas were on the defensive after that, and Kalba claimed all three points when Dufrennes put a diving header past Ghuloom for his seventh goal of the season.
Mohammed Malalla played the final pass for both of Kalba's goals.
The victory improves Kalba's hopes of avoiding relegation. They are now four points from safety. Kalba have won seven points from their past three games, which include a 5-3 home victory over Al Wahda and a 2-2 draw away to Al Ahli.
In the late game, Dubai defeated Sharjah 1-0 as the league's other promoted side also won.
Hassan Abdulrahman scored in the 63rd minute from a penalty.
His spot-kick was set up when the referee ruled that the Sharjah defender Essam al Mansouri had taken down the French forward Michael N'dri in the box.
Sharjah's players argued vigorously against the call, and the goalkeeper Mahmoud al Mas was shown a yellow card for dissent.
To be sure, it was not entirely clear that N'dri was fully in the penalty area before he was fouled.
Abdulrahman calmly stroked home the penalty with his left foot. Sharjah, who missed a chance to jump up to hold joint-third place on 24 points with Al Shabab and Al Wasl, did not produce many scoring chances.
One of their best, and their last, came four minutes into extra time when Alexandre Oliveira's free kick from just outside the box sailed only inches over the bar.
Dubai's goalkeeper, Jumal al Hammadi, got his third clean sheet in 15 starts, a welcome development for a man who has conceded 33 goals, the most in the league.
Dubai moved ahead of Al Ain and farther out of the relegation zone. They are on 16 points, four above Dhafra and five above Kalba.
