AGL: Al Jazira woes continue as they fall to Al Nasr defeat

Matt Jones - Editor 04:46 23/11/2015
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  • Luis Jimenez on form for Al Jazira.

    The Arabian Gulf League is back after a three-week hiatus, yet Al Jazira show no sign of improvement as their malaise continued with a 3-2 defeat at home to Al Nasr.

    The result stretched the Pride of Abu Dhabi’s miserable run to nine games without victory. Former Jazira player Jonathan Pitroipa had a decisive hand in the Blue Wave’s victory, setting up Brazilian frontman Nilmar for the winner on the hour.

    Ali Mabkhout had dragged Jazira back into the game with just his second and third league goals of the season in the first half, his brace cancelling out a 2-0 lead Ivan Jovanovic’s men had acquired through goals from Luis Jimenez and Jamal Maroof inside the opening 20 minutes.

    Nasr’s win, coupled with Al Ain’s 1-1 draw at Bani Yas, moved the Dubai club up to second in the AGL, just a point behind the Boss.

    Jovanovic hailed the important win at a “critical” time of the season.

    “We scored two quick goals but made two blunders to allow Jazira to score twice,” said the Serb. “However, it was good the score stood at 2-2 at half time so we could regroup to play a better organised game.

    “We scored off a collective effort during this period and, having regained the lead, we preserved it rather than going after another goal. It was a very important win at a critical stage of the season.”

    In the summer, many wondered if Jazira could recover from an end-of-season collapse that saw them concede the title to Al Ain. It was hoped Abel Braga’s return would also see the AGL title restored to the Mohammed bin Zayed trophy cabinet.

    At the moment they’ll be lucky to finish in the top half. Defeat follows a truly disastrous stretch of 66 days without a victory and Braga said his side are being haunted by old ghosts.

    “We did well to recover after conceding two goals but again we conceded a goal because of a defensive mistake,” he said. “We can only work and try to improve game after game.”

    Four goals were scored within 22 frenetic first half minutes, all four the result of shambolic defending. Braga stood frantically chewing gum on the touchline as Nasr raced into a 2-0 lead, perhaps wishing the ground beneath him would swallow him up.

    Pitroipa, unwanted by Braga in the summer, would have cracked a wry smile as his cross was headed to captain Jimenez who unleashed a first time left-foot volley that flew past Ali Khaseif.

    The hosts were soon two down. Musallem Fayez and Saif Khalfan sandwiched Nilmar but the ball deflected goalwards and needed saving by Khaseif. Jamal Maroof reacted quickest to slide under the UAE stopper’s desperate dive.

    With Nasr cruising, Hussain Abbas Juma inadvertently gifted the home side a lifeline. The left-back’s woefully underhit backpass was seized on by Mabkhout, who stylishly rounded Ahmed Shambieh to score his first league goal in more than two months.

    Maroof should have restored Nasr’s two-goal lead but skied over after a delightful one-two with Nilmar, and Mabkhout made them pay.

    Yaqoub Al Hosani robbed a dithering Khalid Jalal and Mabkhout was again coolness personified as he slotted in the equaliser.

    Jazira’s best chance after the interval fell to Thiago Neves, the Brazilian’s 25-yard rocket crashing off a post.

    Nasr went straight up the other end to score the winner and, as fate would have it, Pitroipa collected Maroof’s cleverly disguised ball before unselfishly squaring for a grateful Nilmar to net his first AGL goal.

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