Shabab Al Ahli Dubai stretched by promoted Ajman

Ajman's Mohamed Sabil celebrates after scoring against Shabab Al Ahli Dubai in the Arabian Gulf League at the Rashid bin Saeed Stadium on Saturday night.

Newly-formed Shabab Al Ahli Dubai are still a work in progress and that showed as much on Saturday night.
After working off Hatta last time out, Shabab Al Ahli Dubai huffed and puffed and were stretched to the absolute maximum by promoted Ajman before nicking a 3-1 win in the Arabian Gulf League at the Rashid bin Saeed Stadium in Ajman.
The Dubai-based club were left to play catch up against a resurgent Ajman, who had gone ahead ironically, through their former player Mohamed Sabil.
The Oranges held their own for most part of the game until it all unravelled after Hassan Zahran was sent off following a second booking, after he had brought down Luvannor inside the box.
Senegalese marksman Makhete Diop was on the mark with the penalty after which Luvannor stabbed home to give Shabab Al Ahli Dubai the lead.
An unmarked Diop then patted home the third to vault atop the top goalscorers' chart with four strikes from two fixtures.
Shabab Al Ahli Dubai too finished the game with 10 men after Hassan Ibrahim Juma was given marching orders following a second booking, after he had felled new signing Modibo Maiga, who had come off the bench.
Shabab Al Ahli Dubai have six points from two games, while Ajman are yet to score a point despite impressive showings against defending champions Al Jazira and now Shabab Al Ahli Dubai.
The match was not short of entertainment and drama with Ajman conjuring a spirited performance against the visitors.
Shabab Al Ahli Dubai had the early chances with Mohamed Sabil clearing off the line before Diop could pounce on 11 minutes after which Luvannor saw his left footer saved by a diving Ajman shot stopper Ali Mohamed Ali following Diop's header.
After soaking in the early pressure, Ajman did well to take the lead through Sabil, whose glancing header from a corner, sailed into far corner of the net. Shabab Al Ahli Dubai goalkeeper Majed Naser made a desperate dive but the ball won the contest.
The goal seemed to given Ajman an extra spring in their step and the hosts went on to make a number of forays. But the Shabab Al Ahli Dubai backline withstood the onslaught.
Luvannor had a chance at the other end when he was put through on the left. But Sabil managed to deflect Luvannor's shot for a corner. Then, Walid Abbas headed a corner wide of the post.
Abdulaziz Haikal drilled one over the cross bar after Luvannor had set him up on the right.
Hassan Zahran then brought down Luvannor as both went for a header following Manei Mohamed Ali's cross from the right. Diop stepped up to knock in the penalty to bring the Dubai club back into the game.
They then embarked on a counter following an Ajman corner and Luvannor slid home substitute Waleed Ambar's cross from the left. Diop then tapped in after substitute Rashed Hassan Ali had squared it up from the right.
james@khaleejtimes.com