Fabio Lima's heroics send Wasl up to 4th spot

Caio of Al Wasl challenges for the ball with Al Wahda players during the AGL match in Dubai on Thursday.

 Fabio Lima prodded in the winner 11 minutes from time to steer Al Wasl to a 1-0 victory over Al Wahda on a blustery and cold Thursday night here at Zabeel Stadium.
The Brazilian striker's second-half strike ensured Wasl move above their direct opponents, as well as Al Shabab, and into fourth position in the Arabian Gulf League table.
Clear-cut chances were few and far between in the opening quarter of an hour, although the visitors arguably looked the more likely to break the deadlock with former Arsenal player Denilson a busy and industrious presence in midfield.
It was the Cheetahs nonetheless that carved out the first notable opportunity after 18 minutes. Caio Canedo rose unmarked to nod Hugo Viana's left-sided corner towards Adel Al Hosani's goal.
The headed effort looked to be arcing just inside the far post until Al Hosani expertly got down to palm it away to Lima, who hurriedly couldn't turn home the rebound.
Wasl had shown a tendency to give away dangerous free-kicks around their penalty area in the first half and they were almost made to pay for it on 27 set-minutes.
Wahda captain Ismail Matar fired in a curling set piece that seemed destined to bulge in the back of the net until Rashed Ali athletically leapt across to divert the ball onto the woodwork and away from danger.
Caio Canedo and Mohamed Al Akberi then drew relatively routine saves out of Al Hosani and Ali at either end respectively before Al Akberi conjured up a glorious opening seven minutes shy of the half-time whistle.
Twisting and turning down the inside right channel, the spindly striker got to the dead-ball line and chipped across to an unattended Suhail Al Mansoori, whose diving header back across the Wasl goal sailed harmlessly wide.
Lima then warmed Al Hosani's gloves with a swerving, low shot just prior to the interval as these two teams went in at the break level at 0-0.
Wahda threatened first upon the resumption of play as, six minutes after the restart, Denilson released Al Mansoori and his rising effort was tipped around the far post by Ali.
The Clarets continued on in the same vein, with Hamdan Al Kamali heading a Matar free-kick against an upright as the away team pressed for that elusive goal.
Javier Aguirre brought on Chilean playmaker Jorge Valdivia for Al Mansoori shortly after the hour mark and he very nearly made an instant impact on proceedings; his looping header forcing Ali to backpedal and tip over the bar.
Gabriel Calderon responded in the home dugout by replacing Caio with Ameen in what looked like his second enforced substitution of the evening following Ahmed Al Shamisi's earlier withdrawal.
The attacking replacements from off the substitutes' bench didn't end there either and Amer Omar soon came on for Al Akberi as both coaches - and XIs - went for the full three points.
It was to be Wasl that snared them too as Lima got to Ameen's delivery ahead of Al Hosani to turn the ball home despite the best efforts of Sultan Al Ghafri to clear off the line.
alex@khaleejtimes.com