A last-gasp penalty by Hosni Abd-Rabou earned Ismaili a 3-2 home victory over Ghazl Mahalla on Thursday to keep in sight Egyptian League leaders Ahli, who hammered Arab Contractors 5-1. Abd-Rabou put the hosts ahead in the 15th minute from a curling free-kick before Omar Islam leveled the score four minutes after the interval. Ahmed Hassan added the second for Mahalla after notching home into the empty net in the 58th minute but Mohamed Fadl equalized again in the 79th minute. Abd-Rabou's penalty in the dying seconds helped Ismaili secure a hard-fought win. At the Arab Contractors Stadium, Emad Meteb scored twice and Mohamed Abou-Treika, Osama Hosni and Flavio Amado were also on the score sheet to help Ahli make up for their 3-0 crushing defeat to Ismaili on Sunday. Nigerian striker Minusu Buba scored Arab Contractors' only goal in the first-half. Ahli are on top of the league table with 44 points, six ahead of second-placed Ismaili while Arab Contractors lie sixth on 27 points. Buba had the first chance for the visitors as early as the sixth minute when he was picked out unmarked inside the area by Sherif Al-Beyali's low cross but his hesitation resulted in the defense clearing the ball.
Meteb scored twice But it was Ahli who opened the score line in the 16th minute when Hosni poked home from the second attempt after his initial shot hit a defender's body following Hassan Mostafa's low cross. Four minutes later, Aboul-Magd Mostafa curled a brilliant free-kick that went just wide of the post. Buba leveled the score in the 23rd minute after he capitalized on a poor marking by Ahli's defense to head home Moataz Hamed's inch-perfect cross from the right flank. Abou-Treika restored the Cairo giants' lead in the 34th minute with a superb looping header past the advancing keeper after being set-up by Hosni's cross. Mostafa almost added the third three minutes before the interval when he latched-on to Hossam Ashour's through pass and went face-to-face with Arab Contractors keeper Mohammed Al-Akabawi, who blocked his effort. Egypt international striker Meteb added the third eight minutes after re-start as he controlled Mostafa's chip pass before sending a low drive past Al-Akabawi. Two late penalties awarded for Ahli were converted into the back of the net by Meteb and Flavio to complete the rout.
