Al Jazira’s five game Arabian Gulf League winning streak came shuddering to a halt as Al Dhafra’s good form continued.
Substitute Mohammed Al Khoory snatched a stoppage time winner for the visitors to cap a 2-1 win and a miserable week for Eric Gerets’ team.
After their AFC Champions League playoff loss to Bunyodkor in midweek, Jazira would have wanted to face the 2014 Dhafra.
It took Dhafra until the end of November to win their first league match, but under returning coach Laurent Banide the Western Knights are now unbeaten in four league games since the winter break.
The Frenchman was in charge of Dhafra for six months two seasons ago.
For a long time it looked as if injury to Jazira goalkeeper Khalid Alsenaani would be the biggest talking point of the first half, the stopper forced off after clashing heads with defender Musallem Fayez.
Argentine maestro Manuel Lanzini and the returning Mirko Vucinic looked most likely to unlock Dhafra, but it was the away side who broke the deadlock, firmly against the run of play four minutes before the break.
Senagalese striker Makhete Diop latched onto a superb pass from Moroccan Youssef Kaddioui, easily outpacing Basheer Saeed to plant a shot past substitute stopper Mohammad Ghuloom.
That was his 10th goal of the season, but he seemed to be injured in the process of scoring and was indeed replaced before the break.
With eight minutes of stoppage time added due to Alsenaani’s injury, Khamis Esmail gave Eric Gerets another headache when he limped off, seemingly injuring his knee after making a pass.
Vucinic and Lanzini almost combined to perfection when the Montenegrin collected a chipped pass and forced a volleyed save from Abdulla Sultan.
The half ended in ugly fashion when a scuffle involving players, substitutes and even team managers broke out.
Abdullah Abdulqader motioned to Fahad Al Kassar Banihammad that he thought an elbow had been used, but only a visiting sub was shown yellow.
Jazira pressed for an equaliser after the break and when Vucinic was presented with a chance just after the hour mark, he of course took it.
Brazilian midfielder Jucilei was clumsily brought down in the box by Abdulraheem Jumaa, the forward taking his tally to the season for 20 with the calmest of spot kicks.
There was plenty of time for the hosts to find a winner but they created little in the way of clear-cut chances.
Just as both sides had begun to settle for a hard-earned draw, a winner arrived.
The 22 year old Al Khoory had only been on the pitch five minutes when he received the ball and jinked infield.
The ineffective Saeed stood off the striker, inviting him to shoot, and he duly obliged, firing in low beyond the despairing dive of Ghuloom.
For Jazira and Gerets, more misery following their AFC Champions League exit. For Dhafra and Banide, a fourth game unbeaten.
Jazira 1
Vucinic (pen) 61’
Dhafra 2
Diop 41’, Al Khoory 90+2’
