(MENAFN- The Peninsula) By Armstrong Vas / The Peninsula
Al Rayyan and Al Kharaitiyat picked up full points while Qatar SC and Umm Salal played out a one-all draw in the Round 9 matches of the QNB Stars League yesterday.
Moroccan striker Abderrazzaq Hamdallah struck a double as Al Rayyan defeated Al Gharafa 3-2 at the refurbished Khalifa International Stadium, one of the eight 2022 FIFA World Cup venues.
Hamdallah scored in the ninth (penalty) and 31st minutes to take his tally to eight goals. Sebastian Soria was their other scorer (64th). Almahdi Ali (41st) and substitute Vladimir Weiss (stoppage time) were on target for Al Gharafa.
The victory helped Al Rayyan displace Al Sadd, who had lost to Al Duhail, from the second position. The Lions have 24 points, one behind Al Duhail and three more than The Wolves.
Al Gharafa put up a strong resistance before going down fighting even though they did not have it in them to put it across Al Rayyan. The Cheetahs surely did not expect a goal so early when Hamdallah converted a penalty awarded after Soria was fouled inside the box.
Al Rayyan dominated the early exchanges and the rivals showed alacrity afterwards. It was then that Hamdallah struck for a second time with an on-the-turn shot, that completely caught goalkeeper Yousuf Hassan napping, following a Soria cross from the left.
After Almahdi reduced the margin capitalising on a goalmouth melee, Amro Seraj came close to drawing parity, but for a timely save by Al Rayyan goalkeeper Omar Barry.
Soria then hit his seventh league goal this season when it was thought Al Gharafa would equalise. All that they could do was another goal by Weiss, who replaced Ahmed Alaelddin in the 67th and is recuperating from an injury, in stoppage time.
At the Al Khor Stadium, Al Kharaitiyat edged Al Ahli 1-0 in a tightly-fought contest. The clash was decided by a penalty midway through the second half, enabling the home side to leap above their opponents in the standings.
The game started in an open fashion, with The Thunders having a flurry of early chances before Rashid Tiberkanine's looping header from a free-kick was tipped just over by Yazin Husein.
Al Ahli came close in the 32nd minute as a 25-yard drive swerved marginally wide of the far post with the goalkeeper beaten. Al Kharaitiyat moved instantly on the counter through Rashid down the left that resulted in a shot being struck fiercely into the side netting.
Into the second half and Al Ahli should have taken the lead. However, Yassine Chikhaoui's drive from close went wide. Only moments later, they were made to pay as Benson handled in the area and Al Kharaitiyat were awarded a penalty.
Anwar Diba stepped up, but saw his shot was saved by the outstretched legs of the keeper. However, the defence failed to clear the ball and Sanjar Tursonov was on hand to place it in. Some late pressure from Al Ahli nearly resulted in a goal on several occasions, but it was not to be and the home side held on for an important victory.
At the Al Gharafa Stadium, Qatar SC held Umm Salal to a 1-1 draw.
Umm Salal captain Yannick Sagbo opened the scoring in the sixth minute with a free-kick, but Bruno Gallo equalised for Qatar SC in the 48th through a penalty.
A minute after Sagbo curled in the free-kick, Qatar SC's Bruno charged into the Umm Salal box, but his shot from the edge of the box narrowly missed the far goalpost even as goalkeeper Basel Zaidan was completely beaten by the pace of the shot.
A few minutes later, Sagbo unleashed another powerful shot from outside the Qatar SC box, but goalkeeper Adil this time picked up the flight of the ball and pouched it safely.
Soon after resumption, Umm Salal's Youcef Sakour brought down Bruno inside the box, prompting the referee to award a penalty, which the Brazilian easily converted.
Two minutes later, Qatar SC's Khaled Mahmoudi produced a feeble snap-header from close range, but moments afterwards, his team-mate Fahad Khalfan hit the goalpost after beating Zaidan at the Umm Salal goal.
In the 80th, Umm Salal's Mahmoud Kamal curled in a free-kick, but Adil punched the ball to safety. Soon, substitute Ismail Mahmoud missed the easiest of taps into the net from close as The Orange Fortress settled for a draw that took their tally to 14 points and Qatar SC's to four.
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