Ajman striker Olivier Tia put question marks over his future to one side as he fired his side to a vital 2-1 win at Bani Yas on Sunday evening.
The 29-year-old striker needed just nine minutes to grab his first two Pro-League goals of the season, and while Andre Senghor pulled one back on the quarter hour mark, Abdul Alwab Abdulkadir’s side held on for three precious points.
Bani Yas were unable to hand their new playmaker Fran Yeste his debut as the Spaniard had been signed after the league’s 72-hour deadline. However, as the former Al Wasl man watched on from the stands it was defensive frailty rather than a lack of creativity that cost them early on.
Gabriel Calderon was without five players due to Olympic duty, and the loss of defenders Amer Al Hammadi and Mohammed Jaber and midfield enforcer Mohammed Fawzi was keenly felt.
Ajman had the ball in the back of the net after just six minutes, as Tia – given his chance with Ibrahima Toure on his way to AS Monaco – saw his effort bobble into the back of the net after Bani Yas keeper Mohamed Khalef had only managed to get a palm to drive. Indeed, TV replays even suggested the curling shot could have been going wide.
The Ivory Coast striker hadn’t scored in eight Pro-League games this season but he soon had another here, and there was little Mohamed could do about it this time. Waleed Ahmed Hassan broke down the left side of the area before his ball across the six-yard box was tapped home by Tia, with barely nine minutes of the game gone.
The home fans didn’t have to wait long for a response from their team though as Senghor scrambled home from close range after Nawaf Mubarak Musabah had charged down Waleed’s clearance and Ajman keeper Ali Rabea made a hash of dealing with the loose ball.
After three goals in a frantic first 15 minutes, the pace of the game slowed. The visitors’ skipper, Karim Kerker, seeing a 35-yard free kick fizz past the post in the 24th minute before only a last-ditch tackle by Ismael Bouzid denied him with 11 minutes of the half to go.
Senghor then threatened an equaliser in the 41st minute, but after collecting Adnan Al Baloshi’s cut-back and breezing past the Ajman centre-backs, he was unable to beat Mohamed.
Calderon’s side came out for the second half in much more bullish mood but they found it tough to break down their obdurate opponents. Ali Rabea had to be alert to tip away long range efforts from Nawaf and skipper Fawzi Basheer, but it was Senghor who was most wasteful.
Last season’s Pro-League top scorer failed with two headed attempts, the most glaring of which came in the 63rd-minute as he failed to direct Adnan’s cross on target from six yards. Nawaf curled a free-kick just over for the hosts with 12 minutes remaining, but bar a late shout for a penalty after Salem Obaid’s clumsy challenge on Fowzi Basheer, the home side rarely threatened.
After the game, Ajman Head Coach Abdulkadir launched an astonishing attack on Toure, claiming his side have a better chance of staying in the Pro-League without their 14-goal striker.
“Frankly speaking, we haven’t seen much from him. If we consider the match he was with us against Al Ahli, he missed chances and we lost.
“With Al Jazira we also lost the game, Al Ain we also lost, against Al Shabab he was there and we also lost the game. He does not stick to his duties, and in my opinion in this game Hassan Maatouk and Waleed Ahmed Hassan played a lot better because he wasn’t there.”
Abdulkadir added: “If we want to stay in the Pro-League we need a team that cooperates together and everyone does their defensive as well as attacking duties.”
Elsewhere, Emirates fought back from a goal down to seal an impressive 4-2 win over Dubai Club in the battle of the basement boys in the Pro League.
Aboubacar Camara had given home side Dubai the lead on the quarter hour mark, but Emirates hit back in style with strike duo Modibo Diarra (2) and Alhassane Keita giving them a 3-1 first half advantage.
Dubai’s Hassan Abdulrahman pulled one back with a little over 20 minutes remaining to set up a grandstand finish. But as the home side pushed for that elusive equaliser Mohsine Moutaouali stole in at the death to ensure Emirates move off the bottom with just their second win of the season.
