El Jaish striker Abderrazzaq Hamdallah (front) in action during his team’s match against Al Sadd yesterday.
Hamdallah scored his team’s fourth goal. PICTURES: Anas Khalid
By Sports Reporter/Doha
The Soldiers scored three times in 18 minutes after recovering from 2-1 down at the break at Gharafa Stadium. Sabri Lamouchi’s men then defended resolutely to register a first win in four games and move to within ten points of leaders Al Rayyan.
Top scorer Abderrazak Hamdallah was the hero for Jaish with two goals. Influential winger Sardor Rashidov grabbed his ninth of the season, while Brazilian forward Romarinho was also on target.
Sadd were lacklustre in the second half and looked tired following their energy-sapping Qatar Classico win on Thursday night. Jesualdo Ferreira’s men have now slipped to fourth in the QSL, and are 12 points behind Al Rayyan, who registered a routine win over Al Ahli.
Jaish took the lead in this match when Hamdallah produced a scuffed finish in the tenth minute. After a slick counter attack and through-ball from Rashidov, the Moroccan striker’s attempted cross somehow found its way past goalkeeper Saad al-Sheeb.
The lead lasted only eight minutes though. Hassan al-Haidos smashed the Wolves level from the edge of the six-yard box after a neat lay-off from Hamza Senhadji. Haidos perfectly timed his run into the penalty area as the Jaish backline was left chasing shadows.
By now Sadd were dominating possession, but it was Jaish who created the next chance. The Soldiers countered quickly in the 27th minute and al-Sheeb had to be alert to prevent Romarinho from restoring the Soldiers’ lead.
Khalifa Abo Baker saved well from Senhadji shortly after the half-hour mark, but the Jaish goalkeeper was powerless to stop Muriqui from giving Sadd the lead in the 33rd minute. The Brazilian striker slotted home his tenth of the season after latching on to a defence-splitting pass from Ali Assadallah.
Sadd then went close to extending their lead before half-time. Haidos missed a golden opportunity in the 36th minute when – with the goal at his mercy – he failed to convert a superb cross from Senhadji. The Wolves also had a goal disallowed following a marginal offside decision.
Romarinho had a trio of chances on the stroke of half-time, including two free-kicks, but Sadd held out to remain in front at the break.
Ferreira will have expected his side to press on in the second half, but Jaish came out of the blocks quickly. Rashidov equalised for the Soldiers in the 50th minute after Al Sheeb allowed the Uzbekistan winger’s left-footed shot from 25 yards to squirm underneath him.
Romarinho then grabbed his eighth of the season to put Jaish in front. Murad Naji cut inside before producing a pinpoint cross, and the Brazilian headed home in the 57th minute.
On 68 minutes, Hamdallah scored his second, and Jaish’s fourth, after some prolonged pressure. Al-Sheeb saved well from both Rashidov and Magid Mohammed, but could do nothing to prevent Hamdallah scoring his 11th of the season. Jaish’s big number nine played a one-two with Khalid Abdulraouf before cutting inside and striking low to the goalkeeper’s right.
Sadd toiled for the final 20 minutes but failed to seriously trouble the Jaish defence. The fourth goal knocked the stuffing out of the Wolves, who looked fatigued throughout the second half.
Jaish on the other hand will be delighted with this result, especially after three defeats on the spin. The Soldiers will now be aiming to seriously challenge Al Rayyan at the top of the QSL.