Shahania, Kharaitiyat register 3-0 victories

Al Shahania delivered a spirited performance to shock Al Rayyan 3-0, while Al Kharaitiyat also beat Al Gharafa with the same scoreline in Week 18 of the QNB Stars League yesterday.It was just the fifth win for Al Shahania this season as Al Rayyan failed to add to their eight victories.Rebin Solaka opened the scoring as early as the sixth minute when he slotted the ball into the Al Rayyan net following an indirect free-kick at Al Arabi Stadium. Al Rayyan keeper Fahd Younis could not keep the ball out in the first attempt and Solaka deflected the loose ball home.In the 34th minute, Kesse Amangoua tapped down a loopy long-range cross in front of him and then smartly picked out Sultan al-Kuwari with a neat cross.Al-Kuwari, despite being under pressure from an Al Rayyan defender, wasted little time and fired to the right of the keeper from the edge of the box. The pace of the shot beat the outstretched hand of Fahd as the ball crashed into the net.In a daring solo run, Saad Hussain put Al Shahania 3-0 up three minutes into the second half. After picking up a short pass near the half line, Hussain ran all the way into the Al Rayyan box, lured the keeper out of his position and curled the ball into the net with his right foot to cap his stunning effort with a goal that left the opposition shell-shocked.In the match at Al Khor Stadium, bottom-placed Al Kharaitiyat posted their third win of the season and second in a row as they took their points tally to nine, while Al Gharafa remained on 19 points.Al Kharaitiyat had beaten Umm Salal in Week 17.Al Kharaitiyat opened the scoring in the 30th minute through Mohamed Razzaq, who made the most of a mistake by goalkeeper Yousef Hassan, who let slip a loopy cross after he had initially collected the ball.The ball slipped out of his hands and made its way to Razzaq, who quickly produced a left-footed drive to send the ball into the net.Valentin Lazar made it 2-0 a minute after the hour mark with a left-footed shot from close range. Substitute Abdulaziz Rashid al-Ansari found the Romanian with a low ball from inside the Al Gharafa box and the latter easily slotted the ball into the net.The duo of Valentin and al-Ansari combined yet again for Al Kharaitiyat’s third goal in the 70th minute.Valentin charged towards the Al Gharafa area from the left flank and chipped in a low ball from the edge of the box. Al-Ansari, standing just a few feet away from the goalmouth, deflected the cross into the net with keeper Yousef in no position to thwart the attempt.It was Al Gharafa’s ninth loss of the season.