Mostafa Karim struck home in stoppage time to lead Ismaili to a hard-fought 1-0 home win over Nigeria's Dolphin in the Confederation Cup on Sunday. Ismaili needed a piece of brilliance from the Iraqi striker one minute into added time to seal a precious victory that revived their hopes of reaching the competition's final. The victory moved the Dervishes to third place in Group B with five points, one behind second-placed Dolphin and two adrift of leaders Al-Merrikh with two matches to go. Ismaili dominated the entire match in terms of possession but threatened the visitors' net on few occasions. Ismaili midfielder Ahmed Samir Farag had the first sight of goal in the 26th minute but his long-range shot was easily handled by Dolphin keeper. Left-back Sayed Moawad had the best chance for the hosts five minutes before the break when he sent a superb overhead kick from close range but his effort was tipped over by the keeper. Three minutes past the hour mark, Youssef Gamal could have broken the deadlock with another shot from outside the area but was denied again by the Nigerian guardian. Karim sent Ismaili fans into ecstasy after notching the decisive goal shortly before the final whistle. He collected a short pass from a corner in the left-flank, sidestepped a defender and fired an unstoppable shot from an acute angle to give Ismaili a much-needed win.
