MUSCAT: The newcomers Al Shabab earned three valuable points with Khalid al Buraiki’s goal in the dying minutes to snatch a crucial 2-1 victory over hosts Dhofar on Friday. The win took the Barka-based team to sixth place with eight points while Dhofar remained at their seventh position after Al Shabab in the table order of the league.
At Al Saada Stadium in the sixth week of Omantel League, Al Shabab took a 1-0 lead when Hatim al Hamhami sent a strong ball from outside the box to score in style in the eighth minute.
Later, the hosts put pressure on Al Shabab’s goalkeeper Abdul Malik al Badi to find the equaliser in the first half. But Hussain al Shahri’s movements did not succeed as he missed many scoring attempts. The first half finished with Al Shabab leading at 1-0.
The scenario was different in the second half as the visitors continued their efforts for another goal to increase their chances to confirm the triumph. Emerson from Al Shabab was very close to scoring another goal but Dhofar’s defenders blocked him at the right time to deny the attempt.
Dhofar’s men dominated the field in the middle of the second half as they went in search of the equaliser. An own goal by Al Shabab’s defender Sami al Ajmi after intercepting a cross from Awadh al Shahri in the 73rd minute made the score 1-1. The goal encouraged the hosts’ players to put more pressure for another goal as Sultan al Marzooqi’s opportunity was saved by Al Shabab goalie. In the additional time at 93rd minute, Khalid al Buraiki scored the winning goal after receiving a cross from a corner to deliver a significant victory to his team.
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