Dubai down Al Nasr in UAE League

A spectacular long-range strike from Hassan Mohammed sank Al Nasr, earning Dubai the three crucial points that will serve them well in their battle against relegation. The win took Dubai up one place to 11th, but they remain in the drop zone alongside Sharjah. Hosts Nasr could have won the match comfortably, but a valiant effort from the Dubai defence and Nasr striker Luca Toni’s pathetic showing led to the hosts downfall at the Maktoum Stadium. Hassan Mohammed’s feeble poke at goal from close range in the opening minute got the action going, before Toni blew two gilt-edged chances inside the first five minutes. First after a lovely looping assist, Toni brought it down on his thigh and powered a shot into Dubai goalkeeper Jamal Abdullah, then the former Italy and Bayern Munich man blasted high from 10 yards out. Toni squandered another good chance in the 11th, heading wide from a corner, and when he did get the ball in the back of the net in the 15th, he was offside. Dubai got the ball forward into promising positions, but there were no takers for Nicolas Marin’s brilliant crosses into the area. Simon Feindouno and Abou Baca Camara had a shot each picked up by Nasr ‘keeper Abdullah Mousa, before Jamal Abdullah saved a shot from pointblank range in the 26th to deny Nasr’s Jamal Ibrahim. Three minutes later, Hassan showed outstanding skills in the Nasr box to dribble past Bader Yaqoot and Mahmoud Darwish, but his shot lacked direction. Dubai survived two close shaves in the first five minutes after the interval, with Mark Bresciano heavily involved in both Nasr attacks. The Australian first sent his shot from a free-kick on the edge of the area inches over Dubai’s crossbar, then he released Yunus Ahmed with a through ball, which the latter poked just wide of the left vertical. On the hour mark, Bresciano was denied once again from around the spot by Kazem Ali with a well-timed slide to block the Aussie’s stinging goalbound effort. Dubai substitute Abdullah Abdulqader, who replaced Camara in the 71st , had a great chance following a one-two with Hassan, but shot straight at Mousa seven minutes later. However, Nasr were made to pay for the many chances they missed in the 81st when Hassan cut towards the middle from the right before curling a left-footed effort around Mousa and inside his right post. Elsewhere in Dubai, Paulo Bonamigo’s Al Shabab thrashed Sharjah 5-1 at the Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium. Brazilian Kieza and Essa Obaid were on target twice, while Mahmoud Qassim also got on the scoresheet for the winners. Sharjah pulled one back through Sang-ho Lee.