DUBAI: Al Ain sealed the Arabian Gulf League top spot battle with a 3-1 win over Al Wasl at Zabeel Stadium in Dubai.

The Boss took the lead when Omar Abdulrahman sent a curled cross from an angled free kick into the penalty box, for Ismail Ahmed to head into the back of the net, to open the scoring.

Just before the end of the first half, Al Ain defender Mohanad Salem fouled Fabio de Lima in front of the penalty box, resulting the defender’s sending off to leave his side a man down at the break.

Al Ain striker Markus Berg was on the receiving end of one tackle on the edge of the penalty area. Captain Abdulrahman, curled into the top corner to double Al Ain’s lead in the 71st minute.

Six minutes later Bandar Al Ahbabi sent a through pass to the substitute Hussein El Shahat who applied a chipped finish to round the scoring with a debut goal.

Al Wasl’s Ronaldo Mendes received his marching orders after a late tackle on Rayan Yaslam three minutes before the end of the 90.

The Cheetahs scored a consolation goal in the stoppage time, when Caio Canedo got into the 18-yard-box, and finished to Khalid Eissa’s near post from a tight angle.

The victory means Al Ain move two points clear at the top of the table, handing Al Wasl their first defeat of the season as Rodolfo Arruabarrena’s men drop down to third in the table behind Al Wahda.

Al Wahda beat Dibba

Earlier, Al Wahda recorded a 3-1 win over Dibba at Fujairah Stadium.

The hosts opened the scoring at the half-hour mark through their new Brazilian player Rodolfo da Silva.

Laurentiu Reghecampf’s side turned the match around after the break with three goals.

The Clarets equalised two minutes after the hour mark, when Mourad Batna was tackled in the box by Dibba goalkeeper Fahd Mohamed, resulting in a penalty which was converted by Balazs Dzsudzsak. The Clarets doubled their score in the 77th minute when Sultan Al Ghafri’s pinpoint cross from the right wing was stabbed in by Mohamed Al Akberi. Three minutes later, Sebastian Tagliabue rounded the scoring for the visitors.

Al Jazira held

In another match, reigning champions Al Jazira stumbled to a 1-1 draw against Ajman at Rashid Bin Saeed Stadium.