Al Khor edged Al Markhiya 2-0 at the Al Janoub Stadium yesterday to secure their place in the nest season's QNB Stars League ranks.
Ahmed Hammoudan (99) and Abdulla Al Moraisi (112) scored for the winners after regular time ended without goals in the play-off which pitted 11th-placed team in the 2019-20 QSL season (Al Khor) against Second Division runners-up (Al Markhiya).
QSL's bottom placed-basement side Al Shahania had been relegated to the Second Division, while Second Division champions Al Kharaitiyat earned promotion to the top flight.
A bad patch saw Al Khor end up 11th and go into the play-off. However, they were given a tough fight by Al Markhiya before winning by two extra-time goals.
The match regulations stipulated that in the event of a tie, extra time of 30 minutes (15 minutes in each half) was to be played. Had that also ended in a draw, penalty shoot-out would have decided the winners.
Al Khor dominated Al Markhiya throughout with 64 per cent possession. The Knights forced 10 corners as against two by Al Markhiya, whose woes compounded when Luciano Vasquez, nicknamed Lucho, was sent off soon after they conceded their second goal.
Al Markhiya goalkeeper Mohammed Saeed held fort against the rival attacks for most of the game, but for two late goals.
Al Khor’s Ibrahim Amada had his rising shot parried by Saeed in the 39th minute.
After Al Khor’s Anas Ibrahim sent his shot wide of the target, Lucho and Al Khor’s Helal Mohammed both headed over the bar and Helal’s team-mate Tiago Bezerra headed wide as Al Markhiya went defensive.
Hammoudan and Robert Alexander Melki made goal attempts for Al Khor in the second half, but were unsuccessful and the game went into extra time.
Hammoudan gave Al Khor the breakthrough by heading in substitute Mohammed El Sayed’s low cross from the right in the first half of extra time.
Al Moraisi found the mark with a chip shot over the head of an advancing Al Markhiya goalkeeper after Aden Ali failed to clear a through pass from deep into the Al Khor area.
