A Boubacar Sanogo brace helped Fujairah to a much needed 2-0 victory away to Sharjah in the Arabian Gulf League tonight.
On the back of their 7-0 mauling at home to Bani Yas last time out, Fujairah will be delighted to have bounced back in instant fashion.
As for Sharjah, they were unable to build on their convincing 4-0 win at Ajman on Saturday and they now remain 11th in the table, two places above their opponents due to a superior goal difference having played one game more.
A dour first 45 reflected the two sides’ struggling form in the Arabian Gulf League this season.
But for Sharjah’s Rodriguinho’s influence on the game, it lacked any sparkle from both sides.
Rodriguinho nearly gave his team the lead five minutes before the break after bursting from midway through his own half in a superb Sharjah counter, carrying the ball into the Fujairah penalty area and firing a fierce effort against the Fujairah crossbar.
The diminutive Brazilian was at the heart of the home side’s every foray forward but his team-mates were unable to provide him the support he needed to unlock the visitors’ defence.
The second half started in much the same fashion but the match was brought to life on the hour mark thanks to Sanogo’s first, a fortuitous tap in.
A deflected cross from wide on the right was woefully defended by Sharjah ‘keeper Mohammed Yousif who, in trying to tip the ball out for a corner, could only flap the ball against the bar and into the path of Sanogo who gleefully tapped home from a yard out.
That was Sanogo’s fourth goal of the season and his fifth soon followed in the 71st minute. Yousif was this time faultless as a bullet header from the Ivorian met an Ibraheem Alawi outswinging corner that doubled Fujairah’s advantage.
