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Stylish Ahly one step away from 8th successive league title Ahly rout Petrojet 4-0 on Wednesday to move to the brink of an eighth consecutive Egyptian Premier League title
Stylish and youthful-looking Ahly turned on style in the second half to demolish Petrojet 4-0 and close on an eighth straight Egyptian Premier League title after setting up a title decider against unfancied Smouha. Ramadan Sobhi, a 17-year-old playmaker likened to club great Mohamed Abou-Treika, scored twice and promising striker Amr Gamal and substitute Ahmed Raouf were also on target after a drab goalless draw in the first half as Ahly swept to a comprehensive victory that could prove crucial when they meet Smouha on Monday. Ahly keeper Sherif Ekramy guessed the right way twice to block two Petrojet penalties either side of the interval in a starring role. Alexandria-based outfit Smouha, the surprise package of this season's competition, defeated Ahly's Cairo rivals Zamalek 2-1 in Wednesday's other game to claim maximum points from two matches in the final four-team mini-league phase. Ahly and Smouha, who guaranteed at least a runners-up spot and a place in the African Champions League for the first time in their history, are level on six points ahead of their decider. With Ahly enjoying a better goal difference, thanks to their 4-0 win over Petrojet which gifted them a one-goal lead over Smouha, they will wrap up their 37th league title if they draw on Monday. Smouha have no option but to win to claim one of the biggest upsets in the history of the competition, which was launched in 1948. Ahly and Zamalek have dominated Egypt's premier club competition since 2002, with Ahly enjoying the lion's share with seven consecutive triumphs from 2004 to 2011. The last two seasons were called off due to the political turmoil that gripped Egypt. Running riot Petrojet had the better of the early exchanges, wasting a couple of goal-scoring chances as Ahly's three-man midfield gave too much room for their opponents to operate around the area. Said Kamal's side-footed effort went just wide from close range and left-back Osama Mohamed, who Ahly failed to sign on a number of occasions during the past decade, rattled the crossbar with a fierce drive. Ahly's only half-chance in the first half fell to the in-form Gamal, whose one of his trademark headers was tipped over the bar by Petrojet keeper Mohamed El-Shennawy. Petrojet wasted a golden chance to claim a deserved lead when lone striker Marwan Mohsen's spot-kick was blocked by Egyptian international shot-stopper Ekramy six minutes before the break. Ahly ran riot in the second half, with Sobhi and Gamal in particular wreaking havoc upfront to slice Petrojet's defence open far too easily. They opened the floodgates on 53 minutes when Sobhi blasted home from close range after a shot from fellow youngster Karim Bambo was deflected off a defender in his path. Gamal doubled their lead four minutes later when he towered above his marker to send a downward header past the keeper and Sobhi put the result beyond doubt seven minutes past the hour mark. After a breakaway, Petrojet's Ghanaian defender Peter Oduro cleared a chip from Gamal off the goal-line with an acrobatic effort but the talented playmaker pounced on the loose ball to volley home. Substitute Raouf put the icing on the cake with a deflected shot seven minutes from time as Ahly came within a touching distance of another customary league triumph. In between Ahly's third and fourth goals, Ekramy dived to his right to save another penalty from Mohamed Abdel-Salam after defender Saad Samir brought down James Owoboskini. (For more sports newsandupdates,followAhramOnlineSportson Twitter at@AO_Sportsand onFacebook atAhramOnlineSports.) http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/105342.aspx
