Al Jazira climbed up to second with a 1-0 win over Al Shabab in Abu Dhabi on Friday night.
Walter Zenga’s men took the lead in first-half injury time as Shin Hyung- Min powered a header beyond Ismail Rabee in the Shabab goal. Substitute Essa Obaid missed a chance to equalise in the second half before Ali Khaseif saw Carlos Villanueva’s low shot come back off a post after bouncing off him.
The UAE No1 was then called into action to tip an Edgar Bruno header over the bar, with Jazira hanging onfor a precious win that takes them above their visitors and sees them close the gap to Al Ahli at the top of the table to just four points.
The result means Jazira have now gone eight Arabian Gulf League games without defeat, picking up 20 points in the process, since losing 2-1 at home to Al Nasr at the end of November.
Elsewhere, Al Wasl handed debuts to both Ricardo Oliveira andSaeed Al Kathiri, but it was another striker, Mohamed Nasr, that struck as they beat Al Shaab 1-0.
Nasr struck his seventh league goal of the season with less than five minutes remaining at the Zabeel Stadium to seal the win and edge ahead of Ali Mabkhout as the league’s most prolific Emirati.
With the victory Wasl moved up to 10th, just four points off fifthplaced Bani Yas, but coach Hector Cuper was not totally happy with the performance.
“If I am honest, this is one of the worst matches we have played this season, but we managed to get three points and that is the most important thing,” he said.
“We made too many mistakes and the players were not playing for each other as a team. They were playing with their heart and not using their mind.”
In the day’s other kick-off, Sharjah beat bottom club Ajman 2-1 – the Orange Brigade’s ninth defeat of the season.
Fellype Gabriel opened the scoring in the 20th minute before Ze Carlos made it two before the break. Ismael Al Jasmi pulled a goal back with 13 minutes left and the home side were made to brave 10 anxious minutes after Ze Carlos was given his marching orders.
Sharjah held on for victory, though, and remain fourth.