Ayovi hat trick leapfrogs Shabab Al Ahli to second

Action from the Arabian Gulf League match between Shabab Al Ahli and Emirates on Wednesday. - Supplied photo

Ecuadorian international Jaime Ayovi fired a brilliant hat trick to leapfrog Shabab Al Ahli to second on the table in the Arabian Gulf League on Wednesday night.
The 31-year-old, who joined from Chinese club Beijing Renhe this season, struck on 21, 44 and 73 minutes as Shabab Al Ahli walloped Emirates 5-1 at the Emirates Club Stadium in Ras Al Khaimah.
Elsewhere, at the Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan Stadium in the Western Region, Brazilian winger Junior Dutra struck two minutes from time as Al Nasr pulled off a 1-1 draw against Al Dhafra.
Shabab Al Ahli responded to their defeat to Al Wahda last time out, with a clinical showing against the team from Ras Al Khaimah.
The Dubai club, coached by Argentine Rodolfo Arruabarrena, logged 44 points following their 14th win and their eighth on the road.
Emirates, meanwhile, stay rooted in 12th with this being their 13th loss and second on the trot.
Al Nasr's sequence of three wins had seemed to be coming to an end after Saeed Al Kathiri had broken the deadlock for Al Dhafra on 54 minutes.
But Dutra scored on 88 minutes as the visitors managed to salvage a point from their trip to the Western Region.
Al Nasr are ninth on the table with 27 points, with this being their sixth draw. Meanwhile, Al Dhafra are a spot and a point ahead on eighth with 28 points.
Shabab Al Ahli, who have one eye on the President's Cup final against Al Dhafra on April 29, were up and running on seven minutes, with Mohamed Jaber coming up with a fine header off Adeel Mahmood's freekick, on seven minutes.
Emirates were caught napping on 21 minutes after goalkeeper Ali Saqr failed to stop Mohamed Sayed's low cross and Ayovi, who was stationed at the goalmouth, stabbed it into the net.
Shabab Ali Ahli stretched that lead after Mohammed Marzooq popped up to send his precise header home following Mahmood's left-footed corner, on 29 minutes.
The hosts managed to pull one back before half-time with Yaqoob Yusef firing it into an empty net after he had rounded out the onrushing shot stopper Majed Naser, following Saber Khalifa's long ball, on 39 minutes.
And even though Emirates got back into shape in the second half, Ayovi proved to be their nemesis. The former Al Nassr forward saw his left-footer ricochet off Saad Suroor before going in, with Ali Saqr caught wrong footed.
The demolition was complete with Ayovi coming up with a first-touch lob over Ali Saqr and although Suroor made a desperate lunge to stop it, his valiant attempt went in vain.
james@khaleejtimes.com
 
GOALS & CARDS:
Emirates 1
(Goal: Yaqoob Yusef 39. Yellow card: Khaled Almeghaizwi 57)
Shabab Al Ahli 5
(Goals: Mohamed Jaber 7, Jaime Ayovi 21, 44, 73, Mohammed Marzooq 29)
 
Al Dhafra 1
(Goal: Saeed Al Kathiri 54. Yellow cards: Abdullah Abdulqader Alsayari 15, Rashed Muhayer Alketbi 74)
Al Nasr 1
(Goal: Junior Dutra 88. Yellow card: Tariq Ahmed 42)