Bani Yas blown away

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  • Lethal striker Sebastian Saez sucked his thumb in celebration, while several beholden Emirates Club team-mates kissed the turf and piously looked to the sky.

    The Argentine’s pressure-relieving opener had seemingly given a floundering outfit their rare moment of joy during an Arabian Gulf League-campaign to forget. They could not dare to dream a rout would follow.

    This goal sparked a landslide 6-0 victory – their first from the top flight during 2016/17 – in Friday’s basement battle against bedraggled Bani Yas. With it, the sides would swap places at the bottom and the hosts’ insufferable spell in the relegation zone would come to an end for one day at least.

    Conversely for the imperilled Sky Blues, this was an exhibition of a club in meltdown. A 10th defeat from 12 top-flight games – and seventh in eight under Jose Manuel Gomes – left them in no doubt about their parlous predicament.

    The Portuguese coach saw his desperate experiment to pick a callow side more suited for the Arabian Gulf Cup spectacularly backfire. UAE goalkeeper Ahmed Dida’s inexcusable loss of control and subsequent dismissal for dissent also made a losing cause at 2-0 down become mission impossible by the interval.

    A return to First Division League after a nine-year absence appears unavoidable unless extensive cosmetic work is undertaken during the imminent winter transfer window.

    Interim Emirates boss Noureddine Obaidi was an assistant at last night’s vanquished opponents during the final three months of last term. This inside track allied with a clearer desire from his troops would prove decisive.

    After several sighters from excellent winger Mourad Batna, the Moroccan would turn provider past the half-hour mark as his low cross was expertly converted by Saez. The former-mentioned would then blast into an open goal after Dida erroneously rushed out, with worst to come from the keeper in injury time as he completely lost his cool.

    This dismissal would be emphatically punished. Playmaker Khaled Khamis produced a fine diving header after the break, with summer signing Saez assuredly slotting into the top corner for a seventh goal in 12 AGL games.

    Batna’s beautiful curled effort produced the highlight of the match, before midfielder Abdullah Ali’s tap-in caused the final indignity for the sorry visitors.

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