Al Nasr rally past Wahda, register league's first win

Al Nasr and Al Wahda players vie for the ball during their Arabian Gulf League match on Saturday. - AGL

Abu Dhabi - Sharjah rout Wasl 5-1 to stay atop; Al Ain survive Hatta scare

Al Nasr registered their first league victory as they came back from behind to defeat Al Wahda 3-1 at Al Nahyan Stadium in the Arabian Gulf League on Saturday.
The game started at a slow pace, as plenty of the gameplay was limited to the middle of the pitch, AGL website reported. In the 35th minute, Al Wahda were awarded a penalty kick after Sebastian Tagliabue was pulled down inside the box by Mohamed Ayed. Carlitos sent the ball home from the spot to make it 1-0.
The Blues responded immediately, as they nearly leveled things up in the 38th minute, however, Mohamed Al Shamsi pulled off an excellent double save to deny Mahmoud Khamis and Alvaro Negredo's efforts.
Negredo was once again at heart of attack for the Blues, scoring the equaliser just one minute after the restart. The Spaniard converted Brandley Kuwas's left footed in-swinging cross with a towering header.
Al Nasr completed their comeback in the 75th minute, when Kuwas and Negredo combined cleverly once again. The Curacao international winger found Negredo with a defence splitting cross that the forward finished with a powerful diving header.
In the dying moment of the game, Habib Al Fardan went on a one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper after a well-built counter attack thanks to a third Kuwas assist. The super sub's finish crept past Al Shamsi and into the back of the net to make it 3-1.
In a late evening match, Igor Coronado scored twice and assisted once as Sharjah thrashed Al Wasl 5-1 to stay at the top of the standings
Sharjah started in an electrifying fashion, as they broke the deadlock in the 24th minute when Mohamed Al Shehhi found Igor Coronado inside the box with an accurate cross, that the Italian headed into the back of the net.
Coronado doubled his tally in the 38th minute, when Al Hasan Saleh went up the left flank and sent a low cross towards the number 10, who was left with a simple tap in from a close range, to make it 2-0.
The King continued to push forward and just three minutes later, Ryan Mendes received the ball inside the box after a quick counter attack. The winger slotted the ball into the far corner to extend his side' lead.
In the second half, Sharjah carried on from they left and five minutes past the one-hour mark Coronado controlled a perfectly executed long through pass up the left flank, before going past Al Wasl's defender with a clever feint and sending an accurate low cross towards Ricardo Gomes, whose diving header hit the post and went into the back of the net.
10 minutes before the fulltime whistle, Fabio De Lima reduced the deficit for the Cheetahs, when he converted Ahmed Al Ebri crossed ball with a tricky first time left footed volley.
Sharjah responded immediately through Marcus Vinicius, whose long range right footed screamer left Mohamed Al Bairaq helpless in goal to restore the four-goal lead in the 83rd minute.
In another match, Kodjo Laba's fourth goal of the campaign secured the three points for Al Ain in a 2-1 win against Hatta at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium.
Al Ain suffered a blow halfway through the opening period as Jamal Maroof was stretched off following a heavy challenge from Cleylton. Mohammed Khalfan was brought on to replace him.