Muscat: Al Nasr secured a valuable 2-1 victory over Al Rustaq in a match held on Monday at Al Saada Sports Complex in Salalah as part of the fourth round of the Omantel League.
The first half began cautiously, with both teams exchanging attacks as they attempted to dominate the midfield. Al Nasr applied high pressure early on in search of an opening goal and came close in the 12th minute when Musab al Maamari found himself one-on-one with Al Rustaq's goalkeeper but his shot flew over the crossbar, missing a golden opportunity to take the lead.
On the other hand, Al Rustaq relied on swift counterattacks, capitalising on the speed of their players. They successfully converted one of these counterattacks in the 24th minute when professional player Fiston Abdul delivered a precise header from a pinpoint cross by his teammate, beating Al Nasr goalkeeper Ibrahim al Rajhi. Al Rustaq continued to perform strongly and almost doubled their lead in the 41st minute when Khalid al Haddabi received the ball inside the penalty box but his shot was brilliantly saved by an outstanding Al Nasr goalkeeper, Al Rajhi, keeping his team in the game. The first half ended with Al Rustaq leading 1-0, while Al Nasr worked to regroup during the half-time break.
At the start of the second half, Al Nasr appeared more organised and effective, with the coach making attacking substitutions, notably bringing on Marwan Taib. In the 56th minute, the referee awarded Al Nasr a penalty after a clear foul on Yazid al Maashani inside the penalty area. Without hesitation, the referee pointed to the spot. Marwan Taib stepped up confidently and slotted the penalty into Al Rustaq’s net, levelling the score.
Al Nasr continued to push for a winning goal and nearly scored a second in the 70th minute when Awad al Shahri unleashed a powerful shot from outside the box that narrowly missed the post. As Al Nasr maintained their pressure, they finally broke through in the 72nd minute with a brilliant tactical move. Yazid al Maashani delivered a perfect cross to Marwan Taib, who headed the ball forcefully into the net.
In the final minutes, Al Rustaq tried to fight back by intensifying their attacks but Al Nasr's defence and goalkeeper were up to the challenge. Al Rajhi made several crucial saves to preserve his team's lead. The match ended with a 2-1 victory for Al Nasr, earning them three valuable points.
With this win, Al Nasr raised their total to seven points, advancing to fourth place in the league standings, while Al Rustaq remain on three points, sitting in seventh place.
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