Gulf United hosted Al-Thaid in the third round of the Division 1 regular season on Friday, and the visitors secured a 3:2 victory despite playing out of position for large stretches. The result shifts Al-Thaid further clear at the top, while Gulf United remain winless after their opening defeat.
G. Rocha opened the scoring early, firing home in the fifth minute to give the hosts an immediate advantage. B. Afobe doubled the lead before the break, finding the net in the 32nd minute to put Gulf United in control. To be fair, the home side looked comfortable sitting on a two-goal cushion.
Al-Thaid woke abruptly after the interval. F. Saulaiman pulled one back in the 46th minute, then struck again three minutes later to level matters. And here's the thing — a late goal in the 89th minute, though the scorer was not recorded, proved decisive. They carved them open when most would have settled.
Gulf United dominated possession at 62 per cent and registered 14 shots compared to the visitors' seven, yet efficiency remained elusive. They won nine corners to none and completed 88 attacks, but shots on target told a different story. By then, the match had already turned on its head.
We had backed the away win with 46 per cent confidence, and it materialised through a combination of second-half urgency and clinical finishing. Al-Thaid needed the points badly after a draw in their opener, and this feels like a fourth straight win in the making if they keep this tempo.
Al-Thaid sit third on four points from two games, while Gulf United languish 13th on zero points from their solitary outing. The visitors extend their unbeaten run, while the hosts have not won since their opening fixture and are weighing up a move for reinforcement.
