Teenager Ramadan Sobhi made the difference again but lasted only one half after receiving a bizarre red card as Ahly surged 11 points clear at the top with a 2-0 win over ENPPI in the Egyptian Premier League on Friday. The 19-year-old, Ahly's best performer this season who reports suggested might leave for Europe in the summer, won a penalty after a brilliant individual effort which playmaker Abdallah El-Said converted to put the Red Devils ahead three minutes before the break. However, he received a straight red card just before the second half got underway. Local reports said he was given his marching orders for insulting ENPPI's Rami Sabri, with whom he had an altercation in the first period. Despite their numerical disadvantage, Ahly made the points safe with a deflected free kick from winger Moemen Zakareya 11 minutes from time as the Cairo giants took another step towards a ninth league triumph in 10 seasons. Zamalek, who ended Ahly's eight-season hegemony after winning the title last season, are second with 42 points after being held to a 0-0 draw by Dakhleya on Thursday, 11 behind their bitter rivals with 11 matches remaining. With Ahly finding it hard to penetrate a tight ENPPI backline, they needed a trademark moment of magic from Sobhi to breach it. He boldly made a surging run without any assistance from his teammates, skipping past the first challenger and rounding Lama Kone inside the area before being tripped by the Guinean as the referee instantly pointed to the spot. El-Said's spot kick went into the bottom corner, with keeper Ali Lotfi failing to stop it despite diving the right way. Sobhi's dismissal just before the start of the second half left Ahly without much needed creativity and ENPPI relatively improved, although they still struggled to mount serious threats. Ahly could have gone 2-0 up seven minutes after restart when skipper Hossam Ghaly's powerful shot from the edge of the area struck the bar, while ENPPI substitute Mario Martinez of Honduras went close with an angled curling effort that went over the crossbar. Lone striker Amr Gamal swiveled and had his shot from a narrow angle blocked by the ENPPI shot-stopper and Gabonese Malick Evouna, who replaced him in the latter stages, was guilty of wasting a golden chance when he broke clear with nine minutes remaining, only to shoot straight at Lotfi. Zakareya's free-kick on 79 minutes deflected off a defender and wrong-footed Lotfi to give Ahly a routine win in their bid to wrestle the title back from Zamalek. (For more sportsnews andupdates, followAhramOnlineSportson Twitter at@AO_Sportsand onFacebookatAhramOnlineSports.) http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/199678.aspx
