Caio, Fabio take Wasl past Nasr in scrappy clash

Dubai - The teams displayed crass football than class football. The shots at goal were wayward and the passing lacked precision

The Arabian Gulf League match between Al Wasl and Al Nasr was anything but a 'Bur Dubai derby'. The teams displayed crass football than class football. The shots at goal were wayward and the passing lacked precision. More importantly they went more for the man than for the ball which made for a scrappy tie.
But at the end of the 90 minutes the hosts came out on top with a 2-1 margin at their home ground in Zabeel Stadium, Dubai, on Friday. Caio Canedo and Fabio De Lima scored either side of the half with Abdelaziz Barrada pulling one back.
Meanwhile at the Hatta Stadium, a goal each by Adrian Ropotan and Adnan Al Balooshi helped the hosts to a 2-1 win over Kalba. Hamad Abdul Rahman scored for Kalba.
Back in Dubai, there was nothing much to shout about in the first 20 minutes of the match between Al Wasl and Al Nasr. The only player who made it lively with his sudden bursts, ball control and left-foot dribbling was Wasl's Brazilian striker Ronaldo Mendes.
However, it was in the 22^nd minute when the home team broke the deadlock after Caio Canedo applied the finishing touches from the top of the box to a cross from Fabio De Lima.
The Cheetahs were still in celebration mode when Nasr almost found the equaliser in the very next minute. The tall Frenchman Abdelaziz Barrada broke free and took a shot from inside the six-yard area only for goalkeeper Rashed Ali to tip it for a corner.
The Blue Wave's frustration got the better of them when minutes later Jires Kembo was cautioned for questioning the referee's decision over a foul.
Nasr had a couple more pot shots at the Wasl goal but they were all wayward. Their quest for the equaliser finally paid off a minute from half time when Barrada beat Rashed Ali in goal with his free-kick from the top of the box.
With the game moving into injury time Nasr survived a penalty when their defender Mahmoud Khamis inadvertently handled the ball with Fabio De Lima closing in but the challenge went unnoticed by referee Abdulla Alajel.
The ref failed to get a hold of the match in the second half and in one particular incident almost goofed up when he awarded a penalty to Nasr although the ball hit a defender Essam Dhahi on the chest. With the home fans voicing their anger the ref consulted the fourth official and reversed his decision much to the delight of the Wasl fans.
It was Wasl's turn to get close in the 75^th minute when Khaleil Khamis' pile diver sailed inches over the crosspiece much to the relief of the Nasr fans.
That relief was temporary as in the 81st minute Fabio De Lima played a superb one-two with Dhahi to score the winning goal.
clareto@khaleejtimes.com