Bani Yas edge past Al Sharjah

Bani Yas' Haboush Saleh (centre) is sandwiched between Al Sharjah captain Mauricio Ramos (down) and Fayez Juma in the Arabian Gulf League at the Bani Yas Stadium on Saturday night.

Bani Yas 3
(Goals: Ishak Belfodil 23, Joaquin Larrivey 40, Yousef Jaber 45. Yellow card: Amer Abdulrahman 10)
Al Sharjah 2
(Goals: Ricardo 27, Maicosuel 71. Yellow card: Mauricio Ramos 14)
 
Bani Yas recovered from their chastening defeat against Al Nasr last time out by edging past Al Sharjah in the Arabian Gulf League at the Bani Yas Stadium in Al Shamkha on Saturday night.
In what was an all-Emirati tussle in the dug-out between Dr.Abdulla Misfir and Abdulaziz Al Anbari, goals from Algerian international Ishak Belfodil, Argentine Joaquin Larrivey and Yousef Jaber gave the Sky Blues a 3-2 win over 'The King.'
Ricardo and Maicousel scored for Al Sharjah to keep things interesting until the end but Bani Yas held out for their eighth win and their sixth at home. The victory moved them one spot up to eighth to 32 points, while Al Sharjah were left stranded in 12th after suffering their 12th loss and their seventh on the road. Abdulaziz Al Anbari's men have 26 points and face a wait to know their fate in the top flight when 13th placed Fujairah meet Al Jazira away at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium on Sunday night.
Belfodil gave the Sky Blues the lead on 23 minutes but Al Sharjah cancelled that out through Ricardo four minutes later. But Bani Yas retook the lead through Larrivey with the former Celta de Vigo striker scoring on 40 minutes. They then increased that lead through captain Yousef Jaber in the final minute of the first half.
And though Maicousel reduced the margin on 71 minutes, Bani Yas managed to hold on to the victory.
james@khaleejtimes.com