Ahly's summer signing Saleh Gomaa scored one goal and set up another four in a 10-goal fest that saw the Reds hammer Ittihad El-Shorta 7-3 in the Egyptian league at Alexandria's Borg El-Arab Stadium.

The hosts initially took the lead through striker Malick Evouna, before Ahmed Galal drew El-Shorta level in the 23rd minute, as defender Rami Rabia restored his side's advantage three minutes from the half-hour mark.

Visitors El-Shorta, managed by ex-Ahly boss Fathi Mabrouk, then brought the score level via Mahmoud 'Agogo' to make it 2-2, as Gomaa, Ramadan Sobhi and Evouna ensured Ahly went into the dressing rooms leading 5-2.

But there were further goals after the break with Rabia, whose gaffe resulted in El-Shorta's second goal, completing his personal brace in the 57th minute, before a debatable spot kick allowed Salah Riko to hit Shorta's third.

Substitute Emad Meteb, who scored a trademark stoppage-time winner against Wadi Degla last week, then ensured Ahly finished the game with a four goal-lead hitting his side's seventh of the night.  

Last season's runners-up Ahly climbed three places into third on 22 points, just one behind leaders Maqassa who played two games more.

Gomaa shines in first-half goal-fest

The goal glut started in the 21st minute when Evouna headed into an empty net after El-Shorta keeper Essam Saad had wrongly come out of goal to meet Walid Soliman - who crossed over his head.

Ahly, however, were pegged back just a minute later through Galal, who guided home a header from a corner kick under the watch of a static Ahly defence.

It was just four minutes later when Rabia restored Ahly's lead with a very similar goal to Shorta's equaliser, heading home the second from a corner kick.

Again, El-Shorta drew the score level when a blunder from Rabia eventually resulted in Agogo going straight towards goal and sliding home past keeper Sherif Ekramy.

Gomaa then netted a wonderful goal when he evaded a couple of challengers to sprint into space before curling the ball home from outside the area.

He then turned from scorer to provider when he exchanged passes with Sobhi who beat an opponent before finding the net from inside the area in brilliant fashion.

It was not the end of goals though, with Evouna making it five for Ahly in stoppage time following a cross from Gomaa, who assisted his third goal, to head home into an empty net after the keeper again had been guilty of coming out of goal.

Dubious penalty does El-Shorta little

Just two minutes into the second half Evouna missed a header from point-blank range after Soliman burst down the right handside of the penalty area.

Evouna again wasted another one-on-one after eluding defender Emad Helmi as El-Shorta keeper Saad was there to thwart.

Curiously, the burly Gabon striker missed a sitter with the goal gaping in the 65th minute as El-Shorta's defence eventually cleared the danger.

El-Shorta's Mohamed Basiouni then managed to win a dubious penalty after getting Hussein El-Sayed behind his back when surging into the box as the referee adjudged the Ahly full back to have fouled him.

Riko then made no mistake from the spot to reduced the arrears, as the visitors needed to score three goals to bring the score level.

Ahly, however, retained their four-goal lead when man-of-the-match Gomaa took on a handful of challengers comfortably while charging through the middle, before another gaffe from below-par keeper Saad allowed substitute Meteb to score. 

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