Al Ittihad edge Seeb, Ahli Sidab draw Masirah in 3rd round of Hockey League
Al Ittihad secured a valuable 2-1 victory over Seeb in their match at the Oman Hockey Stadium in Al Amerat, as part of the third round of the final stages of the U-18 Hockey League.
The match began at a balanced pace in the first quarter, with Abdullah bin Salem standing out for Al Ittihad through several attacking attempts, while Seeb's most notable chance came from Al Yazan al Balushi. The first quarter ended goalless.
In the second quarter, Al Ittihad asserted their dominance, controlling the flow of play. Seeb had a few attempts to score but were unable to convert. In the 29th minute, Al Ittihad was awarded a penalty corner, which Yassin Medhat Mohammed converted to give his side the lead. The quarter ended with Al Ittihad ahead 1-0.
The third quarter saw Seeb repeatedly try to equalise, the closest being a shot from Laith al Nabhani that went just wide of the right post. However, Al Ittihad capitalised on a quick counterattack, earning a second penalty corner. Once again, Yassin Medhat found the net in the 39th minute, doubling the lead to 2-0.
Early in the final quarter, Laith al Nabhani gave Seeb hope by scoring to make it 2-1. The game intensified in the closing minutes as Seeb pressed hard for an equaliser, but Al Ittihad's defence and goalkeeper held firm to seal an important win.
Ahli Sidab and Masirah played out a dramatic 2-2 draw
The first quarter began at a fast pace with both sides exchanging attacks. Ahli Sidab's danger came mainly through Saad al Fazari and Maytham al Wahaibi, while Masirah's most threatening moves were led by Al Qasim al Shaidi and Fadhl al Noufali. Both defences and goalkeepers were solid, keeping the score 0-0 at the end of the quarter.
In the second quarter, Ahli Sidab took clear control of possession and limited Masirah's attacks. In the 21st minute, Saad al Fazari converted his team's dominance into the opening goal with a smart finish inside the circle. Masirah tried to level the score through counterattacks, but the half ended with Ahli Sidab leading 1-0.
The third quarter saw Masirah's coach, Ahmed al Noufali, implement a tactical shift that quickly paid off. His side earned a penalty corner in the 32nd minute, which Fadhl al Noufali converted to equalise. Masirah maintained their pressure, and just two minutes later, Khazraj bin Sbeit al Mashrafi scored to put them ahead 2-1 at the end of the quarter.
In the final quarter, Ahli Sidab pushed forward relentlessly for an equaliser, while Masirah defended with determination. In the dying seconds, Masirah's defence committed a foul that led to a penalty corner. Maytham al Wahaibi executed it perfectly to secure a late equaliser, ending the match 2-2 in a dramatic fashion that kept both teams in contention for the title.
At the end of the third round, Al Ittihad topped the standings with 6 points, followed by Ahli Sidab in second place with 5 points, Masirah in third with 4 points, and Seeb in fourth with 1 point.
Based on these results, the first semi-final will see Al Ittihad face Seeb, while the second semi-final will feature a strong clash between Ahli Sidab and Masirah, with both matches deciding the finalists for the championship.
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