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Ahly outclass Maqassa to move into second place in Egyptian League The Cairo giants narrowed the gap to only three points with Group A leaders Smouha after beating Maqassa 4-1 on Sunday
Ahly ended their poor run in the Egyptian Premier League on Sunday when they stunned Maqassa 4-1 in a postponed match. The Reds urgently needed the win as their qualification for the final mini-league phase of the domestic competition was under serious threat. The victory, their first in four matches, also comes as reconciliation for the club's fans – angry after Ahly's recent elimination from the African Champions league, which was then followed with a disappointing 1-1 draw with ENPPI in the Premier League. Ahly climbed to second place in Group A with 23 points, narrowing the gap with leaders Smouha to only three points. Calm first half Ahly controlled the ball from the match's start but without a real threat on their opponent's goal. The Reds had many chances against the goal from midfielder Moussa Yedan and forward Gedo, but the tightened defence of Maqassa was on target. Starlet striker Amr Gamal was lucky enough to grant Ahly a sigh of relief ahead of the halftime, putting them in front with a firm header into the net on minute 45. A better Ahly after halftime Only six minutes in from the second half's start, Maqassa was hit with the injury of Cameroonian striker Otobong, who couldn't complete the match. Maqassa players tried to prove their worth through intensive efforts to reach Ahly's goal, searching for the equaliser as the Reds began to lose some control of their midfield. In the 56th minute, Ahly coach Mohamed Youssef replaced forward Gedo with defender Saad Samir to restore the balance. Four minutes later, Youssef made another defensive substitution, replacing defensive midfielder Shehab Ahmed with teammate Hossam Ashour. Youssef's solutions worked quickly – Abdallah El-Said managed on minute 66 to double Ahly's lead with two successive goals after two assists from on-form Yedan. Eyeing more goals, the rookie coach Youssef replaced Gamal with striker Ahmed Raouf in the 76th minute in a bid to continue the pressure. While Ahly players exerted much effort to end the match with a high-score victory, midfielder Trezeguet added the fourth goal when he took advantage of a defensive error by Maqassa defender Ahmed El-Sayed on minute 90. Left back Hussein El-Sayed briefly avenged Maqassa by scoring the side's first goal, to be followed with successive attempts from his teammates to close the gap, but the referee's final whistle put a stop to their mission. (For moresports news and updates,followAhramOnline Sportson Twitter at@AO_Sportsand on Facebook atAhramOnlineSports.) http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/98440.aspx
