Al Mushrif Under-11s put on a spirited display to be crowned Division 2 ADISSA champions after beating title rivals The Pearl 2-0 in a winner-takes-all match.
Second-half goals from Suhail Al Tamimi and debutant Mohammed Al Seiari were enough for Al Mushrif to register their fifth straight win and gain revenge for the 2-0 defeat to The Pearl earlier in the season.
With plenty at stake, there was nothing to separate the two sides early on in the first half. Al Mushrif goalkeeper Bader Al Obaid was called into action while Jaden Miranda and Ali Hajsaleh kept the opposition in check.
In a game where both sides failed to create many chances, the battle for supremacy was in midfield. Al Mushrif were nearly rewarded for their hard work through Abdulla Al Hanaei, who was in impressive form throughout the competition.
Al Hanaei nearly broke the deadlock but his shot failed to find the back of the net just before the half-time whistle.
Inspired by an interval team talk from coach Robert Kirkland, Al Mushrif resumed after the break on a more confident note.
Tareq Kotb and Al Seiari were dangerous for the visitors but the pair were frustrated when a through ball to Al Hanaei was intercepted by the Pearl defence.
While the home side pressed on, it was Al Mushrif who broke the deadlock courtesy of a spectacular strike by Al Seiari. The debutant beat his marker with a drop of the shoulder and then unleashed a shot into the top corner of the goal to give his team a 1-0 lead.
With five minutes still to play, Pearl pushed forward in the hope of finding the equaliser. But the Al Mushrif defence kept the opposition bay and it was the visitors who extended their lead through another spectacular strike, this time from Al Tamimi.
With just minutes remaining, Pearl attacked but Al Mushrif hung on for the victory.
And having seen his team play well throughout the league, Kirkland lauded his players.
He said: “The boys have been an absolute credit to themselves, their school and their families. They always conducted themselves in a positive sporting manner and played the game the way it should be played, with respect for both themselves and the opposition.”
Jumeirah College play their rugby in style
Jumeirah College rugby squads stood out from the rest when they took to the field wearing specially designed kits in their Gulf Under-18 matches at the Dubai Sevens.
Rather than wearing their traditional colours, their kits were designed by ESMOD Dubai students and competition winners Yalda Delghani and Marie Latuilerie. On the pitch, Jumeirah College enjoyed some success with the A side, sporting the eye-catching yellow, grey and black colours, reaching the Trophy Quarter-Final before suffering a 29-7 defeat to eventual winners Dubai College.
The B side, wearing green and white, missed out on glory when they were beaten by Abu Dhabi Harlequins 38-10 in the Plate final, having previously beaten English College 17-5 and Wellington International School 36-14 in the semi-final and quarter-finals respectively.
Head coach Richard Vivian was delighted with his teams’ performances, and said: “Each and every player gave their absolute everything. No match was easy as there were some strong teams out there.
“It’s probably the biggest tournament that some of the boys have played in as it’s the biggest rugby competition for schools in the country. And they all played the matches in great spirit in what was a very big occasion.”
Speaking of the kits, he added: “The kits were fantastic. They certainly caught the eye of the parents and teams alike. The players absolutely loved it and there was no other school that had the type of kits that we had and that made us stand out from the rest.”
