Ismaili were held to a 1-1 away draw by struggling side Ittihad on Saturday but managed to climb to second place in the Egyptian League table. Abdullah Al-Shahat put the visitors in front in the 37th minute but Rami Saied equalized for Ittihad moments before the half-time whistle. The result put the Dervishes in second place with 37 points, ahead of third-placed Zamalek on goal difference. Both sides continue their pursuit of the final Champions League qualifying spot as runaway leaders Ahli have virtually secured a fourth successive title. Alexandria-based club Ittihad lie 12th on 21 points, just two clear of the relegation zone. Ittihad were better in terms of possession in the early stages of the game, but failed to threaten Ismaili goalie Mohamed Sobhi. Forward Mohamed Nagui 'Geddo' had a low shot easily collected by Sobhi after three minutes. Ittihad energetic midfielder Hussein Fahmi tried his luck twice but his shots went high over. Striker Youssef Gamal came close to putting Ismaili in front on the quarter hour mark. He rose unchallenged to head Omar Gamal's corner just wide of the post. Ismaili Right-back Al-Shahat stunned the home crowd in the 37th minute. He raced unopposed towards the 18-yard box before hitting a powerful right-footed drive from the edge of the area that went into the top corner of the net. Saied drew Ittihad level just before the break when he capitalized on a catastrophic defending by Ismaili players.
Ismaili lead did not last for long The former Ahli full-back controlled a flicked-on corner before slotting into the net from close range. Three Ismaili men were standing on the goal-line without any kind of man-marking defending, despite readying themselves to clear a set-piece. Dull Half Neither side was able to impress in a dull second-half. Both sides were restricted to some tame shots. Nine minutes after restart, a shot by Ismaili winger Ahmed Farag went just over the bar. Substitute Amr Samir almost restored Ismaili's lead in the 76th minute when he controlled Omar Gamal's pull-back on the edge of the area. The strong striker readied himself to shoot goalwards but his effort deflected off a defender and narrowly missed the target. At the other end, Abdul-Hamid Hassan wasted a decent chance to put Ittihad ahead nine minutes from time. He was fed by Youssef Hamdi's deft through pass inside the area but his weak shot didn't bother Sobhi. He should have done better to take advantage of a rare goalscoring opportunity. Watch the match's goals
