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Tribune News Network
DOHA
Al Gharafa Club broke through a spirited Umm Salal resistance and struck two goals in the second session to post their sixth victory in the Qatar Stars League Round 10 at the Qatar Sports Club Stadium on Wednesday.
After a scoreless first half, Johnson Kendrick and Abdulghani Muneer got their names on the score-sheet to ensure that the Cheetahs won their fifth match in a row.
In the beginning, Johnson rocked the bar with a quick shot to make the intent of his team clear. Umm Salal tried their best to get the lead but Al Gharafa keeper Yousef Hassan blocked a couple of shots from Brazilian midfielder by Alef Santos.
The first half saw Al Gharafa enjoying much of the possession and chances.
Al Gharafa meant business in the second session and in the 57th minute, Kendrick scored his third goal of the season after a brilliant counter-attack by his team. Abdulghani Muneer passed the ball to the unmarked Brazilian striker in the box and Kendrick just guided the ball home around keeper Baba Malik.
Al Gharafa consolidated their advantage 12 minutes later with a well-worked goal from Muneer. After a throw-in, Vladimir Weiss forwarded the ball to Muneer, who drove the ball into the box from the right, dribbled past two players and shot the ball into the goal after it came off Malik's hands the near post.
Yannick Sagbo could have pulled one back for Umm Salal but his free-kick deflected off the bar in the 89th minute after Yahiri was fouled just outside the box. Al Gharafa managed to maintain the two-goal cushion and went on to keep their top four hopes alive.
Pedro Caixinha's men now remain undefeated in their last eight matches and have 20 points from 10 games. Bulent Yugun's Umm Salal suffered two losses in their last three games and are sixth in the table with 13 points after the 10th round.
Wakrah savour first triumph
Bottom-placed Al Wakrah edged Al Khor 1-0 to score their first win of the QSL season but the two sides could barely impress with their on-field tactics. Mohsine Moutaouali scored the only goal of the match in the 43rd minute at the Al Wakrah Stadium where scrappy football saw players getting tangled with match officials and rivals.
In the first 10 minutes of the clash, the visitors Al Khor enjoyed more ball possession compared to the home side, coached by Tunisian Kais Y'e2akoubi.
However the Round 10 clash turned into a physical game as Al Khor's Mouhssine Iajour seemingly head-butted Al Wakrah's Ali Hussain, the captain of the home side, as the players got ready for a free-kick.
Hussain collapsed, as if struck by lightning, causing a stoppage in the play amid constant berating and finger-pointing from players of the two sides.
After much delay, when the free-kick was finally taken, it was Iajour's turn to put on a show as the feisty Moroccan striker tumbled following a rough tackle from Hussain. Another halt ensued as players quarreled inside the Al Khor box in the 17th minute.
At the half-hour mark, Al Wakrah's Hamood al Yazidi hoodwinked his marker but his shot from an acute angle was well pouched by Al Khor keeper Baba Djibril.
With no let-up in rough tactics employed by both sides, Al Khor coach Jean Fernandez decided to substitute a limping Iajour in the 32nd minute, bringing out young Ali Abdulkarem to replace the Moroccan forward.
In the 36th minute, Al Wakrah's Abdulrahman Fakhroo produced a spectacular snap-header off a long-range free-kick but the ball smashed into the Al Khor crossbar with goalkeeper Djibril completely beaten.
With two minutes before the first-half whistle went off, the Blue Waves grabbed the lead.
Midfielder Ahmed Fadel slipped in a neat ball from the edge of the box toward Moutaouali who should have been marked by the two Al Khor defenders in their own box. With his markers slow to react, Moutaouali tapped the ball down before firing his shot into the net with goalkeeper Djibril unable to stop in the 43rd minute.
With goal-scoring opportunities reducing with each minute in the second half, the players often went for tough tackles. In the 75th minute, Al Wakrah's Waheed Tahiri was shown a yellow card for bringing down Sadeeqi of Al Khor.
Al Wakrah slowly began to dominate proceedings and held out to register their first win of the season, much to the joy of manager Kais Y'e2akoubi.
