Al-Markhiya secured a 2-0 away win against Al-Rayyan B in the Second Division's Regular Season round three on Saturday afternoon. The visiting side took all three points from the match, extending their winning start to the campaign.
The decisive moment came at the 35th minute when Al-Markhiya broke through to take the lead. By then, Al-Rayyan B had already begun to show the strain of their opening two defeats. To be fair, the hosts had created opportunities but failed to convert them in the opening half.
A red card at 45+2 changed the complexion of the encounter. The dismissal left Al-Rayyan B chasing the game with ten men. At the 71st minute, a goal appeared to extend the visitors' advantage but was cancelled out by VAR, which denied what would have been a comfortable third. The visitors did not let the setback make them nervous.
Al-Markhiya finished with six shots on target compared to four for the hosts, while the visitors claimed more possession at 55 per cent. The hosts managed four corners and three offsides, while the visitors registered three corners and zero offside calls. And here's the thing — the statistics showed Al-Rayyan B making more free kicks (23) than Al-Markhiya (18), suggesting the visitors were more disciplined in their approach.
The result moves Al-Markhiya further clear at second place with six points from two games. Al-Rayyan B remain in 11th position with zero points after two losses. The visitors will now look to build on their perfect start, while the hosts face the task of finding a response after consecutive defeats to Al-Mujtahir and Al-Waab.