AGL: Late fightback sees Wahda beat Emirates Club

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  • Strong comeback: Al Wahda.

    Al Wahda’s stuttering Arabian Gulf League campaign may have received lift off after a late rally saw them fight back from two-goals down at Emirates Club to win 3-2.

    The Clarets had been hotly tipped since the arrival of coach Javier Aguirre and Chile playmaker Jorge Valdivia in the summer but came into the match down in ninth.

    They seemed set for another poor outing, Wilmar Jordan and Helal Saeed putting the high-flying hosts ahead last night in Ras Al Khaimah.

    Denilson converted a 77th minute penalty to give hope, substitute Mohammed Alshehhi and veteran Ismail Matar then pouncing at the death to provide a stunning finale.

    The result – obtained without the services of suspended top-flight leading marksman Sebastian Tagliabue – saw Wahda move up to sixth spot and provide a much-needed boost of confidence.

    There seemed little sign of what was to come during a goalless first half, Jordan wasting the best chance ahead of the interval when he fired over from Walid Ambar’s excellent cut-back.

    The Colombian then made no mistake six minutes after the restart, heading powerfully into the bottom corner. By 57 minutes, the Falcons were two goals to the good when Saeed looped in a header. 

    Wahda needed assistance, Alshehhi being upended in the box to see Denilson score from 12 yards.

    The visitors smelled blood, Alshehhi nodding in Khalid Bawazir’s lofted cross on 89 minutes before Matar hit a sweet low strike in injury time to spark scenes of jubilation.

    Meanwhile, Dibba Al Fujairah earned the east coast bragging rights as Nasir Abdelhadi’s spectacular long-range effort secured a 1-0 derby victory against Fujairah.

    Fujairah – hosts at the shared Fujairah Stadium – went close in the first half through Christophe Mandanne and Patrick Eze. But the only goal came from the newly-promoted side, midfielder Abdelhadi unleashing an unstoppable rocket.

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