Al Ain coach Zlatko Dalic could not have been blamed for expecting the worst.
Already robbed of, arguably, Asia’s finest player of 2016 Omar Abdulrahman’s services through suspension and with a pair of defenders joining UAE goalkeeper Khalid Essa in the treatment room before the half-hour mark, substitute Rashed Hassan’s late leveller against the run of play for 10-man Al Shabab fit a frustrating script perfectly.
More drained points in the Arabian Gulf League after last week’s embarrassing capitulation during the 2-2 draw at lowly Dibba Al Fujairah seemed certain, only for veteran midfielder Ibrahim Diaky to follow in with virtually the last kick of the game to seal a grandstand 2-1 win.
“Hamdullah, we scored in the last minute,” said a beaming Dalic. “We really deserved to win this game.
“We had many problems tonight, changed two players by 20 minutes, changed the system, changed everything.
“We had many chances, but one shot on our goal and it is 1-1. Most important is three points and I really am so happy.”
For high-flying Shabab, the first top-flight defeat suffered under inspirational Dutchman Fred Rutten should count as a missed opportunity. They created far too little against depleted opponents bar Tomas De Vincenti’s threatening shot at the end of the first-half, with the suspension for influential defensive midfielder Hassan Ibrahim set to add further pain.
“I don’t think we really got into the game,” said a downcast Rutten. “One team deserved to win.
“We had hoped we could steal a point at 1-1. But our opponents really were much better than us.”
The 2016 AFC Champions League final-contesting hosts had muddled their way through an opening period which featured more action from the medics than in the penalty boxes.
UAE boss Mahdi Ali would have winced as veteran centre-back Ismail Ahmed trudged off following a collision with Moldova forward Henrique Luvannor, with reserve right-back Fawzi Fayez soon joining him in the treatment room.
The best chances were saved for the final throes. Argentine playmaker De Vincenti forced a sharp low save from Essa’s stand-in Mohamed Busanda, while Brazilian striker Douglas was smothered at the other end when an opportunity dropped kindly to him.
Something special was needed to force the opener and forward Caio supplied it immediately after the interval. A roll of the ball onto his favoured right foot from Douglas’ cut back granted him the space to blast far beyond Salem Abdulla’s reach for a seventh goal in 12 games since being bought from Japan’s Kashima Antlers in July.
Ibrahim was then to head down the tunnel for a bruising late tackle which forced fellow UAE star Amer Abdulrahman off the field.
Yet from adversity, the Hawks soared. They had held champions Al Ahli at arm’s length in the preceding goalless draw and from nowhere substitute Hassan lashed home from 30 yards.
They should have held on for another affirming point against the heavyweights.
This didn’t count for Diaky’s wiles, his instincts to chase stand-in right-back and fellow replacement Bandar Al Ahbabi’s repelled cross deep into injury time earning a key victory which spoke volumes about the character of the squad.