The Blue Wave are yet to create ripples

Dubai - The Blue Wave failed to capitalise on a bright beginning against the Falcons on Friday evening and they were eventually made to pay for it when Haidar Ali gave the visitors a shock lead in the 41st minute.

By Alex Leach

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Published: Sun 23 Aug 2015, 12:00 AM

Last updated: Sun 23 Aug 2015, 12:17 PM

Ivan Jovanovic saw distinct room for improvement in his Al Nasr side's showing against Emirates Club, with better game management top of the early-season priority list.
The Blue Wave failed to capitalise on a bright beginning against the Falcons on Friday evening and they were eventually made to pay for it when Haidar Ali gave the visitors a shock lead in the 41st minute.
Things weren't thus exactly going to plan on the hour mark, with Nasr trailing at home to a club that - unlike them - isn't remotely expected to challenge for the Arabian Gulf League (AGL) title this season.
However, the second-half introduction of Jires Kembo Ekoko had the desired effect as he had a hand in the equaliser for fellow newcomer Luis Jimenez, who subsequently smashed in the decisive strike with five minutes left on the clock.
"It was a difficult game, but I believe we made it more so than it should have been," Jovanovic admitted. 
"We started well, but we missed our chances and duly conceded on the counter-attack. We then lost our balance after going behind and we weren't as dangerous.
"We knew the second half would be more difficult as Emirates stayed behind the ball and didn't give us any space. It wasn't easy to create chances, but we didn't panic and controlled the pace of the game."
alex@khaleejtimes.com 


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