Ahli and Masri played out a goalless draw in the Egyptian Premier League Friday, a result that eased tension between both sides' fans. The game was preceded by a mass brawl between Masri's fans and their Ahli counterparts on the streets of Port Said. The affray erupted near the train station, where Masri's fans were waiting for the away supporters to arrive hours before the match. Both sides exchanged offensive chants before the verbal jousting turned into a battle. They used rocks, batons and even fireworks against each other. The fight resulted in tens of injuries on both sides. The police failed to contain the situation before army forces dispersed the crowds and restored order. In an attempt to avoid riots during the match, several Ahli players walked along the pitch before the kickoff while holding a large banner with a picture of late Masri legend Mosaad Nour. Former Egypt man Nour passed away Saturday after suffering a health problem. Ahli midfielder Ahmed Hassan made his comeback in the game. He had been sidelined since damaging his cruciate ligament last September. Defending champions Ahli are now in third place with 33 points, six adrift of leaders Zamalek who will extend their lead should they beat second-placed Ismaili on Monday. Early Attempts Both teams were looking to hit an early opener from the very beginning. Abdul-Salam Nagah came close to breaking the deadlock few minutes past the kickoff with a powerful header, only for Ahmed Adel to produce a great save. Ahli's lone striker Osama Hosni, who was given an unusual starting berth, replied with a shot that was competently blocked by Masri goalie Amir Abdul-Hamid. On 18 minutes Hosni tried to set up the energetic Mohamed Barakat as both players exchanged passes before the latter went one-on-one with the keeper but missed the target. Barakat and Hosni switched roles later, when the Ahli homegrown striker was released in the area by a neat pass from the mercurial midfielder. His effort went past the post though. The Red Devils laid siege to Masri's goal for a while past the half-hour mark but the hosts kept a clean sheet, thanks to some sturdy defending. Ahli's Substitutes After the break, Egypt skipper Hassan replaced Mohamed Abou-Treika who seemed to be running out of gas. The game was halted for a while shortly after the break as some stones were thrown at the pitch from the stands. No one got injured. Ahli were superior in terms of ball possession but barely showed goal menace most of the second half. They, however, carved out clear-cut chances late in the game. Barakat made way for Amir Sayoud, who squandered a golden chance five minutes from time. He latched onto a precise cross from Sayed Moawad to feint a challenger, before releasing an effort that went high over with the goal at his mercy. Striker Francis Doe, who replaced Hosni, tried his luck from distance only to see his fierce dive narrowly miss the net. Combative midfielder Ahmed Fathi also saw his low shot go wide. Wael Gomaa was sent off in the dying minutes after deliberately bringing down Ihab Al-Masri on the edge of the area while the latter was sprinting towards the goal. Hossam Hassan took the set-piece. His powerful free kick agonizingly hit the crossbar.
