Wahda move to fifth after win over Shaab

ABU DHABI // Al Wahda rallied from a goal down to beat a resurgent Al Shaab 3-1 to end a three-match losing record in the Pro League at the Al Nahyan Stadium. The Brazilian Pinga scored twice before the UAE international forward Ismail Matar put the game to bed with a neat lob over the charging goalkeeper Jamal Abdulla in the 64th minute. The visitors drew first blood when the Moroccan Merouane Zemmama made a break before sending a pass towards the goalmouth for Abdulla Eisa to volley it in on the 40th minute. Pinga equalised two minutes later when he fired corner clearance from the edge and put his team in the lead with a powerful 25-yard strike in the 56th minute. Shaab had an opportunity to cancel the lead but Zemmama sent the spot kick wide two minute later as Wahda held on for the rest of the game to prevent Yousef al Zawawi's men from winning a third successive game. Shaab pressed hard but the Wahda defence were equal to the task. The defender Hamdan al Kamali came in-between to clear a shot from inside the box from Eisa. The goalkeeper Adel al Hosani made a couple of good saves, punching away a free kick from Zemmama and pushing out a close range shot from Eisa. Wahda started well and wasted three chances in the opening 20 minutes. Mohammed al Shehhi's chip-shot over the advancing Jamal Abdulla was cleared from the line by Thamer Ali in the third minute. The Moroccan Amen al Rabathi, Abdulraheem Jumaa and Ali Saleh, who was named in the line-up for the out of form Senegalese striker Matar Coley, were all off target from the headers in front of the goalmouth. The result moved Wahda four places up to fifth and leaves Shaab battling relegation in second last above Al Khaleej. [e-mail]