Ahly clinched their fourth Egyptian League title in a row on Monday after a goalless draw with relegation threatened Baladeya in Tanta. The draw took Ahly s tally to 63 points with five rounds to play. Ahly lead third placed Ismaili and Al-Gaish, who both have a game in hand, with an unattainable 22 points. The league title is the 33rd for the Red Devils. The Cairo club gave another mediocre performance and seemed unable to unlock the Baladeya s defenses over the duration of 90 minutes. Baladeya took the reigning champions by surprise and had a couple of chances on Ahmed Abdul-Monem s goal. Ahly s best chance of the game in the 58th minute when Gilberto broke through on the left flank and squared the ball to the unmarked Mohamed Barakat who hit the post with the goal at his mercy. With the game nearing its end Ahly intensified their efforts but were kept at bay by the Baladeya players who were playing in their half. Things turned ugly in the dying seconds of the game when Ahly players asked for a penalty-kick after Baladeya defender Yehia Abou-Sheasha handled a Gilberto corner in the area. The referee called play-on amid a myriad of complaints. TV replays showed clearly that Abou-Sheasha deliberately handled the ball. The referee s call prompted an outburst from Ahly s fans, who started throwing missiles onto the field causing the game to be almost called off.
