MUSCAT: Dhofar secured a narrow 1-0 win over city rivals Al Nasr during their Salalah derby at Al Saada Sports Complex Stadium in the 23rd round of Omantel League on Tuesday.
The game’s lone goal was scored by Dhofar’s Brazilian recruit Wilmerson, who converted a penalty kick in the 29th minute. The referee awarded the penalty to Dhofar following a rough tackle made by Al Nasr's Moayad Awad, who received a red card in the process. Al Nasr then were left with 10 players to complete 63 minutes of the match.
Then, the two teams presented an equal level with a relative advantage for Dhofar in the last quarter of the first half.
In the second half, Dhofar continued to dominate the field, taking advantage of Al Nasr's numerical disadvantage, although they missed several opportunities.
On the other hand, Al Nasr tried on several occasions during the course of the second half to find an equaliser through counter-attacks, but it lacked focus, so the match ended with Dhofar winning by a goal.
With this win, Dhofar temporarily rose to fifth place with 36 points, one point ahead of Oman Club, who will play against second-placed Al Suwaiq in the 23rd-round match on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Al Nasr remain 10th in the league table with 27 points, and the team failed to capitalise on the defeat of the ninth-placed Al Musannah, who lost to Sohar on Monday.
AL RUSTAQ FOURTH
The same round saw Al Rustaq and Sur teams facing off at the Al Rustaq Sports Complex. The match ended in a goalless draw, with both teams struggling to find the back of the net.
The first half was cautious, with Al Rustaq enjoying an advantage and a number of opportunities to advance. However, Ahmed al Adawi missed a real opportunity at the beginning of the half, after he was alone with the Sur goalkeeper and hit it next to the left post. Despite Al Rustaq's pressure, all attempts were unsuccessful, and the first half ended in a goalless draw.
The second half saw more determination from both teams, with Rustaq, in particular, wanting to come out with a positive result. Sur led a number of attacks, but neither team could capitalise on any chances, the final touch was not present in all the moves and the referee cancelled a goal for Al Rustaq due to offside in the 66th minute. The match ended in a goalless tie, leaving both teams with a point.
With this result, Al Rustaq secured their fourth place with 40 points, while Sur were in 11th with 21 points.
Despite the draw, Al Rustaq missed the opportunity to catch up with Al Seeb, who finished third with 42 points. Al Seeb also tied in the same round match with Al Ittihad, who are in 12th place with 17 points. With this tie, Sur also missed the chance to widen the points difference between them.
The Omantel League is nearing its end, with only three rounds remaining, and the battle for the top and bottom spots remains fierce as teams fight to secure their position in the league standings.
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