Brazil striker Nilmar (right) produced a first-half hat-trick as Al Nasr eased to a comfortable 4-1 victory against relegation-threatened Sharjah last night.
The summer buy from Internacional made it nine goals in 17 Arabian Gulf Leaue games with three predatory finishes, well assisted by forward Jires Kembo Ekoko’s penalty. The win saw the Blue Wave cement their grip on third place and 2017 AFC Champions League qualification, while their opponents will be nervously looking backwards.
Sharjah struck the goal of the game through January purchase Nawaf Mubarak’s fine free-kick, but they now sit just one place outside the drop zone on 18 points.
The hosts at Al Maktoum Stadium had fallen to a heartbreaking, last-gasp Bur Dubai derby loss to Al Wasl in their preceding match. Spurred on by this pain, they were 4-0 up by half-time.
Nilmar has failed to impress in the UAE, yet the supreme striker from his Villarreal spell re-emerged. He opened the scoring on four minutes from a tap-in after Luis Jimenez robbed defender Abdulla Ahmed, before following up on a volley from the Chile playmaker which struck the post.
His hat-trick was sealed by 36 minutes with a header as Jimenez’s free-kick made it three assists. An uncomfortable evening for King boss Abdulaziz Al Anbari was added to as Kembo Ekoko converted from 12 yards after winger Jonathan Pitroipa was tripped in the area.
Nasr held back in the second half, Mubarak duly finding a spectacular consolation on 70 minutes with a curling set-piece from distance.
