BANI YAS 3 (M. Jaber 21’, L. Farina 25’, 90’) AL JAZIRA 1 (A. Al Ghilani 50’)
Bani Yas coach Jorge da Silva said he will be pushing his team hard to win the UAE League Cup following their 3-1 win over 10-man Al Jazira.
The victory means that Bani Yas leapfrog Jazira into second place in the standings and with their final group game against bottom side Dubai, a last-four spot is looking likely.
In a game that had everything, first half goals from Mohamed Jaber and Luis Farina put the home side two goals to the good, but Jazira hit back with one from Ahmed Al Ghilani just five minutes into the second half on Wednesday night.
The away side might have had an equaliser – which would have kept them in control of second place – but for the harsh sending off of captain Ricardo Oliveira and a missed penalty by Sulthan Saleh Berghush. Farina made sure of the three points with his second in injury time.
Da Silva said: “It is now easier for us to win this competition than any others because of the position we are now in.
“We just have to play Dubai, then we have two more games to be champions.
“In the Arabian Gulf League, we have much more work to do there, and of course the Asian Champions League is difficult, but we will be trying to win all cups,” added Da Silva.
After a slow start by both teams, Bani Yas took the lead midway through the first half when Jaber rose above Musallem Alhamdani to head a corner past ‘keeper Khaled Alsenaani.
The Pride of Abu Dhabi should have had an equaliser almost straight away, though, when Al Ghilani ran on to a ball from centre-half Juma Abdulla, but he put his volley over the crossbar with a clear strike at goal.
It was to prove a costly miss, because just a minute later, the home side were two in front. Farina and Marcelinho worked the ball to Ahmed Malalla, and he slipped it back to Farina who took one touch before firing a left-footed strike past Alsenaani.
Bani Yas might have had a 2-0 half-time lead, but Jazira started the second half the hungrier team and trimmed the deficit on 49 minutes when Abdelaziz Barrada slipped in Al Ghilani and the latter slammed it past ‘keeper Sultan Musabbeh.
If that goal was the tonic that Jazira needed to spark a recovery, then they were to suffer an ill-fated blow on 55 minutes when captain Oliveira received his marching orders for a second bookable offence.
Bani Yas should have restored their two-goal cushion on the hour when Farina fed Marcelinho with a beautifully-disguised pass, but the Jazira ‘keeper was equal to the shot.
Jazira plugged away for the equaliser and were awarded a penalty on 67 minutes when Marcelinho was adjudged to have dragged down Alhamdani in the box, but Berghush’s weak spot kick was easily saved by Musabbeh.
Jazira ran out of ideas late on and Farina finished them off in injury time with his second of the game.
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