Yaser does it for Al Jazira

Abu Dhabi - Injury-time goal helps The Pride pull off thrilling win over Al Wahda

A Derby it surely was. There was a two-goal lead, injuries, a late fightback, scores level, and then, a dramatic match-winner which had class written all over it, in the final seconds of stoppage time. There was elation . and there was dejection.
On a hot and humid Friday night, Al Jazira and Al Wahda whipped up all the ingredients there is, to serve up a fixture befitting a Derby, under the lights of the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium. And a draw would have been a fair result, so to speak.
But football, or rather sport, is cruel sometimes and there had to be a winner. And at the back end of an entertaining 95 minutes, Al Jazira had their first-half substitute Yaser Matar to thank, for giving them full points on the night.
The 3-2 result leapfrogged Al Jazira (The Pride) to fifth and pushed Al Wahda (The Clarets) down to eighth after three rounds of the Arabian Gulf League.
Mirko Vucinic, the League's top scorer last season, had given Al Jazira the lead on 11 minutes and they were two goals to the good after Ali Ahmed Mabkhout struck his first goal of the League, on 25 minutes. But a Sebastian Tagliabue-inspired Al Wahda clawed back deep in the second half with the Argentine knocking in a brace on 73 and 90 minutes.
Just as the visitors felt they had done enough to secure a point, a moment of brilliance from Yaser Matar saw the Pride of Abu Dhabi take the bragging rights.
Fans were yet to settle down into their seats but Montenegro international Vucinic and Al Jazira didn't have to wait long enough to settle well into a lead.
Nicknamed 'Balkan Maradona,' Vucinic headed beautifully into the far post off an Abdulla Mousa centre, just on 11 minutes.
Al Wahda then forced a series of set pieces as the clock ticked away towards 20 minutes, but none threatening enough to cause alarms to an Al Jazira backline, solidified by the presence of veteran defenders Basheer Saeed, formerly of Al Ahli, and Fares Juma, the ex-Al Ain centre back.
As Al Wahda looked nervy, Al Jazira roamed around with an air of confidence that comes with playing in your backyard. And as Yaser Matar trooped in for an injured Khamis Ismail on 25 minutes, Al Jazira translated that confidence over to a second goal, a vital cushion against a fierce arch-rival.
Brazilian playmaker Thiago Neves chipped one over beautifully and Ali Ahmed Mabkhout just about played himself on and went for the kill. The Emirati frontman did hesitate for a moment, thinking he was in off-side position, but with the flag not going up, he wheeled away and slung it past the onrushing Wahda stopper Adel Al Hosani.
A third was there for the taking for Al Jazira after a neat interplay between Vucinic and Jefferson Farfan, four minutes before the break. But it was one pass too many and the threat was averted for a corner.
Another chance was fluffed in stoppage time but Al Jazira were pretty content as they walked back into the tunnel. Al Wahda came back better on the other side of the break after their talisman Ismail Matar indulged in a huddle and pep talk, mid pitch.
Sure enough, Hamdan Al Kamali came close but the woodwork was to deny the UAE defender, 10 minutes into the half. And they did break their duck on 73 minutes after a rare mistake from the Jazira defence and their goalkeeper Ali Khaseif. Sebastian Tagliabue fired from the top of the box and Khaseif seemed to have had it covered. But the Al Jazira captain fumbled and the ball rolled in while the Argentine celebrated his third goal in the League.
Al Wahda were piqued after the referee Mohammed Abdulla Hassan failed to spot a handball inside the area after Alakberi's drive hit Sultan Al Suwaidi.
Al Wahda were thrown a lifeline in the final minute of regulation time after Denilson was brought down from behind by Farfan inside the box. And Tagliabue duly converted the penalty for his fourth goal of the League and rushed towards the Wahda fans. But there was to be a twist as Yaser Matar, from left, fired a brilliant screamer, with an airborne Adel Al Hosani having no chance to stop it.
james@khaleejtimes.com

nation

Al Jazira were leading in the first half against Al Wahda

goals & cardS
Al Jazira 3
> Goals: Mirko Vucinic 11, Ali Ahmed Mabkhout 25, Yaser Matar 90+5). Yellow card: Ali Ahmed Mabkhout 87
Al Wahda 2
> Goals: Sebastian Tagliabue 73, 90. Yellow cards: Mohammed Al Abdulla 43, Abdulla Alnobi 65