Petrojet's hopes of securing a Champions League spot have all but demolished after Sherif Ashraf's brace gave Zamalek a 2-1 victory in the Egyptian Premier League on Thursday. The diminutive striker scored two quickfire goals early in the second half to give Zamalek a commanding lead and take his tally to six league goals this season. A brilliant Ahmed Shaaban shot reduced the arrears but the revitalized Zamalek held onto their lead to claim their third victory in four games. Petrojet remained third in the table on 46 points but they are unlikely to catch second-placed Ismaili, who have 51 points and a game in hand, as there are just three matches remaining. The league's runners-up directly qualify for the elite Champions League along with the winners. Zamalek, who have nothing to play for, moved into sixth spot with 37 points. Lively Emam In-form right-back Hazem Emam was once again Zamalek's liveliest performer. His pacey runs down the right flank and his pinpoint crosses unsettled Petrojet's shaky defense but Zamalek's strike duo Ashraf and Abdul-Halim Ali failed to make the most of them. Ashraf spurned an early chance to put Zamalek ahead when he tried to divert Emam's low cross into the net but his shot went wide of the post. The hosts could have broken the deadlock three minutes before the break. An Ashraf right-wing cross was parried by Petrojet keeper Ahmed Fawzi into the path of midfielder Ahmed Al-Merghani, whose first-time strike from the edge of the area narrowly missed the target.
Naïve Defending Petrojet's naïve defending cost them dearly in the early minutes of the second half. In the 53rd minute, Ashraf broke a poorly-constructed offside trap to go clear on goal and notch home with aplomb. He doubled Zamalek's advantage two minutes later with a carbon-copy goal. The 22-year-old, who came through the youth ranks of Zamalek's arch-rivals Ahli, capitalized on Kamal Ali's failure to collect a Ali through pass to fire into the bottom corner. The Cairo giants' regular keeper Abdul-Wahed Al-Sayed had to leave the pitch shortly afterwards after picking up an injury, making way for Mohamed Abdul-Monsef. Zamalek's relaxed display following their second goal allowed Petrojet to grab a lifeline in a superb fashion. In the 67th minute, midfielder Shaaban took advantage of Amr Adel's poor headed clearance to trick two defenders on the edge of the area and curl a right-footed shot into the top corner. Petrojet continued to threaten Abdul-Monsef through long-range shots but failed to notch an equalizer. At the other end, Zamalek's Ivorian striker Olie Koffi, who was introduced as a second-half substitute to make his second appearance with the White Knights, squandered two clear-cut chances. Watch the match's goals
