Wakrah cruise past Sailiya, Qatar SC stay in top four

A rampant Al Wakrah slammed five goals past Al Sailiya to consolidate their third position in the QNB Stars League, while Qatar SC beat Umm Salal 4-1 to stay third yesterday. In another match, Al Rayyan rallied to hold Al Gharafa to a 2-2 draw.
Wakrah raised their points to 18 after a brace from defender Lucas Mendes (37th and 52nd minutes), and a goal apiece from Mohamed Benyettou (64th), Khaled Munir (67th) and Jacinto Dala (74th) saw them to a comfortable win. Wakrah went into the match after losing to Al Arabi. On the other hand, Sailiya, who were going through a bad patch, themselves compounded their woes as they were rooted to the bottom of the league table.
Wakrah went ahead after Sailiya goalkeeper made a mistake in pushing the ball away following a corner kick from the right side and Mendes made no mistake in finding the target. In the second half, Al Wakrah continued their superiority and soon added the second goal, again through Mendes.
Al Wakrah did not have to wait for long for their third goal as Benyettou scored with an individual effort past the hour mark. Munir and Dala then rounded off the tally to present themselves a well-deserved victory.
At the Al Gharafa Stadium, Qatar SC made it three a row as they moved to 16 points after victory over Umm Salal. Qatar SC, who swung into big action right from the word go, led 2-1 at half-time. Sebatian Soria (2nd minute), Moataz Majed Bostami (18th minute), Badr Benoun (55th minute) and Ben Malango (60th minute) did the scoring for the winners, while Jonathan Kodjia pulled one back for Umm Salal in the 27th minute of the match.
Displaying excellent form, Qatar SC scored within minutes of the start, with captain Soria dipping in for a header that beat the rival goalkeeper at the left post. Soria was fed by a perfect cross from Nasir Peer Baksh after the move was initiated from a superb back heel pass of Malango. It was not long before Bashar Resan produced a superb free-kick for midfielder Bostami to judge and head Qatar SC’s second goal.
Pushed back by Qatar SC’s attacking play, Umm Salal looked for an offensive and midway through the first half their French-born skipper Kodjia scored a wonderful goal picking on a long ball – first on to his chest before sending in a rasping drive from a tight angle on right side of the box which flew over a diving Qatar SC goalkeeper Sataa Al Abbasi.
Umm Salal, however, could not succeed in scoring more whereas Qatar SC returned to pump in two more goals in the second half.
Benoun added to Qatar SC’s tally with the third strike as he latched on to a long set-piece kick taken by Bashar Rezan. With the ball landing right in the centre of the box, Benoun lunged ahead to score with his left foot.
Qatar SC’s fourth and final goal of the match followed five minutes later when Joao Teixeira sent in a sailing corner kick and Malango jumped high, despite being marked, to head the ball past an outstretched left hand of Umm Salal goalkeeper Khalifa Ababacar.
In the 63rd minute of the game, Qatar SC’s Ibrahim Majed was shown a second yellow card for a tackle reducing the side to 10-man. They, however, held on well to ensure no damage even as Umm Salal tried in vain suffering their fourth loss of the league.
Later, Al Rayyan striker Yohan Boli struck twice after Al Gharafa were leading on both the occasions. The teams were locked 1-1 at half-time. While Mehdi Tahrat (12th minute) and Ishak Belfodil (52nd minute) scored for Gharafa, Boli hit the net in opening half’s added time (45+1) and in the 83rd minute.
With a fourth draw in their 10 matches, Gharafa are seventh in the table with 13 points, while Rayyan are 11th after their second draw with five points.
It was an exciting contest which gave lots of thrill to the good crowd, but both teams also had their fair share of missed chances. Strengthened by the return of their players Amro Seraj, Homam Al Ameen and Ahmed Alaaeldin, The Cheetahs were in an attacking mood. And they struck early too when Tahrat battled for the ball before sending in a superb left-footer from well outside the box.
Rayyan kept up the battle and in the 33rd minute Boli had a good chance off a free-kick, but his right-foot kick saw the ball go well over the bar. Gharafa hit back and in the 30th minute Belfodil had a clear chance but while trying to steer clear of Rayyan goalkeeper Ivanildo Rodrigues, the Algerian striker sent the ball just wide of the left post.
Boli then levelled the terms for his side, connecting a good cross from Mohamed Abdelfatah just before the half time whistle. On return, Gharafa soon went up again as Belfodil moved in from the left and into the box going past defenders for a fine solo goal.