Al Ain surrender one-goal advantage in defeat to Ittihad

Martyn Thomas 08:31 13/03/2014
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  • Bossed: Al Ain suffered at Al Ittihad.

    Zlatko Dalic was denied a winning start to life as Al Ain coach as a second-half Mukhtar Fallatah brace handed Al Ittihad a 2-1 victory at the King Abdul Aziz Stadium.

    The Saudi Arabian striker struck twice in seven minutes to hand his side the victory after they had fallen behind in the Group C encounter to Asamoah Gyan’s 38th-minute header.

    Fallatah could, and probably should, have had a hat-trick but his penalty on the stroke of half-time was excellently saved by Al Ain goalkeeper Khalid Essa.

    Dalic, who only succeeded Quique Sanchez Flores on Saturday, threw on returning playmaker Omar Abdulrahman shortly after Ittihad’s second goal but the UAE star was perhaps unsurprisingly unable to make a telling contribution following nearly seven weeks out.

    This was not the start to life in the Boss dugout that Dalic had hoped for but for long periods it looked as if his decision to take over from Sanchez Flores would be vindicated.

    Al Ain started the brighter of the two sides, and although Essa had to produce a stunning save with his right foot to deny the impressive Fahad Al Muwallad, they took a deserved lead seven minutes from half-time as Gyan evaded his marker to head Mirel Radoi’s corner past Abdulaziz Takroni.

    Following a disappointing 2013 AFC Champions League campaign that saw him net just once, that was the Ghanaian’s second goal in two games this campaign.

    However the Boss were made to sweat to preserve their lead at the break as referee Kim Jong-Hyeok pointed to the spot as Fallatah tumbled under minimal contact from Ismail Ahmed.

    The striker dusted himself off to take the kick but was denied by a full-length dive to his left from Essa.

    Al Ain continued to dominate after half-time and should have doubled their lead had Gyan not sliced wide first-time after some excellent play from Yassine El Ghanassy and Alex Brosque.

    Hamad Al Montashari then denied the former Sunderland striker a tap-in before the hosts began to take charge. Al Muwallad carried much of their threat but it was Fallatah who got the reward as he tapped home from close range.

    Substitute Faouzi Abdelghani spurned an excellent opportunity to put Ittihad in front but just one minute later Fallatah did exactly that, heading home a whipped cross from Abdulfattah Asiri. 

    Omar Abdulrahman then entered the fray for his first appearance since January 24 and his delivery from a set-piece in the final minute of injury time almost provided an equaliser but Ismail Ahmed headed wide.

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