Qatar SC and Umm Salal players vie for ball possession during their QSL game yesterday.
DOHA: Hosts Qatar SC yesterday rallied to share honours when they fought back from a 2-goal deficit against fourth-placed Umm Salal at Suheim Bin Hamad Stadium.
Feared striker Sagbo (3) and Ousama Darragi (20) struck early for the visitors Umm Salal who raced to a 2-0 lead to suggest a convincing performances in the away game.
However, home side Qatar SC hit back through Ousama Omari (65) and Bruno Gallo (76, penalty) to complete a highly entertaining passage of play in the second half.
In a shock move in the round 18 clash, visitors Umm Salal opened the scoring in just the third minute when Sagbo found the net with a neat clip to the top right of the net from close range.
Fellow striker Darragi found Ivory Coast striker Sagbo - stationed inside the box - with a short clip on an indirect free kick. Sagbo, the vastly experienced forward, swiveled and rifled the ball to the top of the net in one quick move for his team’s stunning opener.
As many as eight Qatar SC players looked at each other inside the box when Sagbo found the net with his quick-thinking move.
A few minutes later, Sagbo found Mohammed Abu Bakr who fired a low shot towards the goals but Qatar SC keeper Jassim Adel Al Hail this time blocked the shot with a quick dive.
In the fast-paced match, Qatar SC nearly pulled off an equaliser when Omari flat-footed a powerful drive from inside the box but experienced goalkeeper Baba Malick was alert to thwart the danger by punching the ball away.
In the 20th minute, Umm Salal went 2-0 up when Darragi flicked home - after a cross from Mahmoud Al Mawas - from close range. It was Darragi’s third goal of the season.
In the 33rd minute, Omari of Qatar SC broke free of his marker on the edge of the but his powerful shot narrowly missed its target as the ball sailed just above the Umm Salal crossbar. Nine minutes into second half and Umm Salal’s Al Mawas ended up hitting the Qatar SC crossbar from close range following a cross from Sagbo.
After a series of attacks in the first 20 minutes of the second half, Qatar SC produced their first goal through Omari who deflected the ball into the net from close range after Umm Salal’s Abdul Hussain failed to stop a low cross from the flank. It was Omari’s sixth goal of the season.
With momentum on their side, 10 minutes later hosts Qatar SC drew level with a well-taken penalty kick by Gallo who opted to go for the left of goalkeeper Mallick.
To wrap up an entertaining 45 minutes of play at Qatar SC Stadium, Al Mawas of Umm Salal produced a snap-header that kissed the crossbar before going out of play in the dying seconds of the game.
It was Umm Salal’s seventh draw of the season. For the home side, it was their fourth draw of the season now into the final stretch.
In other match, hosts Al Arabi claimed maximum points after a 3-1 victory over Al Markhiya.
