CAIRO: Zamalek played out a tame goalless draw with Ismaili in the Egyptian Premier League on Monday, to miss out on a chance to close the gap on leaders Ahly. The White Knights became third after the stalemate on 37 points, while Ismaili are fourth with as many points. Defending champions Ahly, who recorded a 2-1 win at Asyut Petroleum earlier on the same day, are on top of the league table with 46 points. The draw in Ismailia put an end to Zamalek s eight-match winning streak. Possession Hosts Ismaili got the upper hand in term of ball possession, but couldn t translate their dominance into goals in a dull first period. The Dervishes kept searching for an opener through crosses from both flanks that mainly found Zamalek s defenders. The Cairo side were keen to maintain a sturdy defense, which negatively affected their frontline s abilities. Ismaili s Abdallah Shahat tried his luck from outside the area midway through the first half, but saw his effort go wide. Three minutes past the hour mark, Shikabala came close to putting Zamalek ahead when his curling free-kick went inches past the post. Tempo Stepped Up The match s tempo was stepped up a bit after both teams increased their attacks after the interval. Ismaili s Mohab Saied whipped in a precise low cross that Mohamed Selliti failed to connect with several yards away from target. Zamalek winger Alaa Ali spurned a clear-cut opportunity in the 54th minute. The youngster went one-on-one with keeper Mohamed Sobhi, thanks to an Ismaili defensive lapse, but his shot went high over. Shikabala could have broken the deadlock on the hour mark when he tried to volley home a long pass, but mishit his shot. Ismaili replied minutes later when Amr Al-Sulaya sent an inch-perfect cross that Selliti headed away from point-blank range. Zamalek had a golden chance in the 69th minute when Mahmoud Fathallah headed a Shikabala free kick towards the far post, before Amr Al-Safti s header hit the side-netting. The last ten minutes of the game were quite eventful, with both sides exerting huge efforts to snatch a late winner.
