Adnan Hamdan
Umm Salal grabbed all three points with a tight 1-0 victory at home to Al Khor in Week 7 of the QNB Stars League on Friday.
The only goal of the game came through Mahmoud Al Mawas in the 71st minute.
It took a while for the game to get going, with the first real chance falling to Umm Salal’s Adil Rhaili whose flashed header went marginally wide of the target.
Only minutes later, they were then given a helping hand as Al Khor captain Naif Al Buraiki was given his marching orders for a second bookable offence.
Anas Mubarak was unlucky on a couple of occasions as the first half finished goalless. Al Mawas helped spark the second half into life as he collected a high ball over the top which was struck past the keeper, but he was unfortunate to see his shot ricochet off the post.
Not long after, in an almost identical move, Al Mawas was able to get his goal as he watched the ball travel over his head before expertly diverting a volley across the face of the goal and inside the far post to give the home side the lead.
Al Khor had a golden opportunity immediately after the restart as Wagner Santos saw his header into the corner being denied by a wonderful fingertip save from Al Khor goalkeeper Mohammed Al Bakri.
One goal was enough on the night and the defeat now leaves Al Khor at the foot of the table, with Umm Salal climbing in the opposite direction from 6th to 3rd place.