Defending champions Ahli turned on the style to beat Gaish 4-2 and go top of the Egyptian Premier League on Friday. Hani Al-Egeizi gave Ahli a first-half lead in a thrilling encounter at Military Academy Stadium. Three second-half goals from Francis Doe, Sherif Abdul-Fadil and Moataz Eno ensured the Cairo giants would claim all three points. Striker Salah Amin struck two late goals for Gaish but they were not enough to help them get something from the game. Both sides finished with ten men as Ahli midfielder Abdullah Farouk, who was introduced in the second period, received his marching orders for no apparent reason while Gaish's Hossam Abdul-Aal was sent off for a second bookable offense. Ahli, who aim to win a sixth successive league title, became sole leaders with 10 points after Petrojet, who have seven points, slumped to a surprising 1-0 defeat to Promoted Gouna. Gaish lie tenth in the 16-team table on four points from four matches. Hard Time Gaish striker Ernest Papa Arko gave Ahli defense a hard time during the first half, thanks to his tireless runs. He almost fired the hosts in front after two minutes when defender Wael Gomaa dithered on the ball inside the area to allow him to drill a close-range shot that was superbly blocked by Ahli keeper Ahmed Abdul-Monem. Ahli then twice came close to breaking the deadlock amid numerous defensive mistakes from Gaish. A goal-bound shot from Al-Egeizi was saved by Gaish goalie Gharib Hafez while Gomaa had a free header that narrowly missed the target. At the other end, Papa Arko, who finished last season as the league's joint top scorer with 12 goals, continued to unsettle Ahli's defensive duo Gomaa and Abdul-Fadil.
Ahli outclass Gaish A neatly-worked counter attack saw Amin release the Ghanaian striker with a deft through pass on 42 minutes. Papa Arko then rounded Abdul-Monem but fired astonishingly wide with the goal at his mercy. Gaish were punished for the wasted opportunity when their defender Walid Aslan failed to clear the danger to gift the ball to Al-Egeizi, whose low shot went past the motionless Hafez and found the bottom corner. Ruthless Display Gaish failed to cope with Ahli's ruthless attacking display and free-flowing football in the second half. Doe doubled the visitors' advantage three minutes after the restart when he was found unmarked by Ahmed Hassan's pass to curl a delightful right-footed into the far top corner. Abdul-Fadil extended the gap on 61 minutes when he met a brilliant pull-back from Sayed Moawad with a low shot that went into the bottom corner. Defensive midfielder Eno killed off Gaish's hopes 12 minutes later after being set up by the evergreen Hassan, who scored three goals in as many league games. The Egypt skipper chested down a long ball from Doe and laid off the ball to the onrushing Eno, who poked home. Ahli eased off afterwards to allow Amin to notch two quick-fire goals. He eluded a tame challenge from right-back Ahmed Ali and caught Abdul-Monem napping with a fierce drive seven minutes from time. Abdul-Monem and Ali were also to blame for Amin's second goal three minutes later. Ali allowed the 28-year-old too much space to head a right-wing cross off Abdul-Monem's body and into the net.
