Zamalek staged a superb fightback to edge out Wadi Degla 3-2 in the Egyptian Premier League on Wednesday, thanks to manager Ahmed Hossam "Mido's" second half substitutions. Two first-half penalties saw both teams head into the dressing rooms tied 1-1, courtesy of strikes from Zamalek defender Mahmoud Fathallah and ex-Zamalek left-back Mohamed Abdel-Wahed. Degla pulled in front after the break with a goal from Abdel-Fattah El-Agha, before being pegged back by substitutes Youssef Ibrahim 'Obama' and Mostafa Fathy late in the game. The win ended Zamalek's three-match winless streak and took them to fourth place on 19 points, seven adrift of leaders Petrojet, who've played two games more. Two penalties The first real chance of the game came on minute 12, when Ethiopian striker Salahdin Said pounced on Ahmed Samir Farag's back pass to keeper Abdel-Wahed El-Sayed, but the forward shot straight into the keeper's hands. Dominique da Silva, who was deployed by Mido as deep-lying forward below Ahmed Ali and Arafa El-Sayed, replied with another header eight minutes later, but his guided effort went wide over. The Mauritanian, however, was strongly involved in Zamalek's opener of the night when he cunningly fell down to keeper EssamEl-Hadary's challenge after going one-on-one with the Pharoah's former veteran keeper. Fathallah made no mistake from the spot to give his side the lead two minutes from the half-hour mark. But Degla top-scorer Said, who has to his name six league goals, kept daunting the Zamalek backline and managed to force a save from Abdel-Wahed when he held off his marker to strike from a tight angle. Degla were evidently the better side, exposing the gaps in Zamalek's midfield, and their strikers Said and El-Agha did well to stretch the Whites' backline until they were rewarded the leveler five minutes from halftime. Midfielder Ahmed Tawfik, whose performance has notably improved of late, was guilty of a needless challenge when he shoved Mohamed Talaat inside the area as the referee instantly pointed to the spot. Abdel-Wahed smashed home the ensuing penalty, sending his former teammate, keeper Abdel-Wahed, the wrong way to earn his side the equaliser. Two subs, superb comeback Unlike the first period, the second half was off to a lively start, with Farag curling a free kick narrowly wide just two minutes after the restart. But five minutes later, keeper Abdel-Wahed was called into action when he denied Ahmed Yasser's strike from the edge of the area before thwarting the ex-Lierse striker once again. Zamalek looked much better than in the first period though, with manager Mido's introduction of midfielder Nour El-Sayed instead of the below-par Arafa proving to be effective. Farag then saw another curled free kick saved by El-Hadary before the ex-Egypt goalie denied a close-range volley from Fathallah, but it was Degla who took the lead five minutes past the hour mark. El-Agha was allowed to break clear following a mishit pass by defender Yasser Ibrahim as the Syrian striker slid home past Abdel-Wahed. Mido reacted quickly to the goal, wheeling on forwards Obama and Fathy in an attempt to increase his firepower after going down a goal. Luckily enough, both youngsters repaid their rookie manager's faith with two wonderful goals in the space of just three minutes. Obama equalised with a powerful header that evaded keeper El-Hadary, following a pin-point cross from right-back Hazem Emam for his first senior goal. Fathy then completed the comeback with a cool curler after selling El-Hadary a sublime dummy to send the Zamalek bench into raptures. Zamalek held on during the final minutes of the game, ending a barren league run to get back into contention for a top two finish. http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/98697.aspx
