Malallah breaks Al Jazira hearts

Watched by a crowd of 13,525 with children drapped in the colours to make a formation of the UAE flag to celebrate the 41^st National Day, Al Jazira thought they had wrapped up a third win on the trot after Ali Ahmed Mabkhout had scored in the 51^st minute.

But Malallah popped up to head home a Simon Pierre Feindouno freekick in the fourth and final minute of stoppage time to finish the game 1-1.

It was a pretty subdued opening minutes with neither side able to conjure any noteworthy chances.

Dubai FC did come close in the 26^th minute when Al Hassane Keita charged down the left flanka and got into the box. But his solo was cut short by Khamis Ismail who made a timely clearance.

That seemed to have woken Al Jazira out of their slumber as they weaved together a flurry of moves. An unmarked Matias Delgado had the perfect chance to put Al Jazira ahead in the 29^th minute after an Abdulla Mousa cross from the left. But his rather wild shot went over the cross bar. They had the best opportunity two minutes later after a superb cross from the right. But Ali Ahmed Mabkhout and Ricardo Oliveira failed to get a touch in at the far post.

Dubai FC were denied a penalty after the referee and the linesman failed to spot Khalid Sabeel make a clearance off his hand. Dubai FC went on the counter after a Jazira freekick with Sabeel and Shin Hyung-Min waiting for the long ball along with Dubai FC’s Richard Porta. Sabeel managed to get to it and the ball deflected off his hand. Porta indicated a hand ball but the referee and linesman had failed to spot it.

Dubai FC had a chance just a minute before the break but Hassan Abdelrahman shot straight to Al Jazira goalkeeper Ali Khaseif.

Dubai FC had another crack at goal five minutes after the restart with Al Hassane Keita coming up with a try. But Khaseif did well to tap it away.

Al Jazira went ahead though in the 51^st minute through Ali Ahmed Mabkhout. Mousa darted down the left flank and crossed it to Oliveira in the middle. Oliveira lay a fine pass to an unmarked Mabkhout on the right. Mabkhout slotted it with ease past an advancing Dubai FC goalkeeper Jamal Abdallah Ali.

Dubai FC came close to levelling it in the 70^th minute after Hassan Abdelrahman sent in a dangerous and swerving freekick. But Ali Khaseif came up with a brilliant save by going airborne to his right to punch it away. Matias Delgado could have doubled Al Jazira’s lead nine minutes later.