Action from the QNB Stars League match between Qatar Sports Club and Al Sailiya at Al Ahli Stadium yesterday.
DOHA: Qatar SC defeated Al Sailiya 1-0 while Al Ahli and Umm Salal played out a goalless draw in Week 14 of the QNB Stars League at the Al Ahli Stadium yesterday.
Hussein Ali netted the winner in the 15th minute.
The victory, Qatar SC’s fourth, took their points tally to 14 and helped The Kings move away from the danger zone, while the defeat dealt a serious blow to Al Sailiya’s stay in the top four even though they are safe for the time being.
Al Sailiya remained on 25 points.
Al Sailiya continued to miss Rachid Tiberkanine due to suspension. The Moroccan spearhead, who joined them from Al Kharaitiyat at the start of this season, has been playing a great role in The Peregrines’ good run.
Tiberkanine’s absence was felt even as Fahad Yousef and Mohammed Mudather led their attack.
Qatar SC, who were without injured Cameroonian star striker Samuel Eto’o, surged ahead through Hussein’s header off a Fadl Omar cross from the right.
Al Sailiya had a good chance to equalise in the 18th minute, but Mudather’s shot was blocked by Qatar SC goalkeeper Jassim Al Hail. Hussein wreaked havoc for a second time in first-half injury time. However, he failed to connect the ball in the goalmouth after being set up again by Fadl from the right. Al Sailiya replaced Mudather with Meshaal Al Shammari in the second half. Yet, they could not find their footing.
Qatar SC wasted another chance in the 67th minute as Syrian striker Osama Omari sent his powerful shot straight to Al Sailiya goalkeeper Saoud Al Khater.
Saoud, who was in excellent form, produced a brilliant save to deny Fadl in the 85th minute.
Al Sailiya had beaten Qatar SC 2-0 in the first leg.
In the other match, hosts Al Ahli and Umm Salal played out a goalless draw.
Al Ahli and Umm Salal moved to 23 and 17 points respectively.
Al Ahli thus extended their unbeaten run to seven matches, that includes five wins.
As Umm Salal took time to settle down, Al Ahli created the first real chance in the 27th minute only to see it go waste after Umm Salal goalkeeper Baba Malik collected the ball after Mohsine Moutaouli failed to connect a cross from the right by Abdelrahman Mohammed.
Two minutes later, Mohsine shot over the bar, this time Mohammed Muntari doing the spadework from the right.
For Umm Salal, strikers Yannick Sagbo and Mahmoud Al Mawas made feeble attempts as the first half drew to a close.
Umm Salal showed more vigour in the second session. Sagbo had a chance, but he failed to connect the ball.
Al Ahli’s Mohammed Tresor headed a Mohsine corner straight to Malik in the 67th minute, while Khalil Sherief missed a sitter off a Muntari cross from the left in the 74th.
Umm Salal’s attack lacked teeth, with Sagbo and Al Mawas being off-colour. Al Ahli replaced Muntari with Ali Qaderi with more than 10 minutes left in the game in their bid to make a breakthrough. The final few minutes saw hectic action, but the stalemate continued.
