Ahly held to a 2-2 draw by Petrojet (Photo: Mohamed Abdou)
Wasteful Ahly surrendered their lead twice as Petrojet held them to a 2-2 draw in an exciting Egyptian Premier League game in Suez on Tuesday.
Ahly, who enjoyed huge crowd support despite being away from home, needed just 12 minutes to open the scoring, thanks to a brilliant volley from in-form winger Walid Soliman.
Burkina Faso midfielder Mohamed Koffi drew Petrojet level in the 33rd minute only for Hossam Ghaly to put Ahly ahead again moments later.
A surprise decision by Ahly coach Manuel Jose to substitute Soliman at the interval looked to have taken its toll on the Red Devils, who were stunned when Petrojet secured a share of spoils seven minutes past the hour mark, courtesy of a goal from Mahmoud Samna after a mistake by keeper Sherif Ekramy.
Ahly, who opened the defence of their title with a narrow 1-0 win over Haras El-Hodoud, have four points from two games. Petrojet gained their first point here, having lost 3-1 to Ismaily in their league opener.
Vivid display
Petrojet had an early chance to go ahead when a defensive lapse from Ahly’s Wael Gomaa gave room for striker Marouane Mohsen to chest a long ball in the area but he skied his shot high over.
Ahly soon took firm control, producing a vivid display characterised by some darting runs from Soliman and precise passes from fellow new signing Abdallah El-Saied.
The visitors’ pressure paid off after 12 minutes when Soliman held off his challenger, flicked the ball following a lay-off from central midfielder Ghaly and hit a superb left-foot volley which left the keeper with no chance.
El-Saied could have doubled their advantage ten minutes later when he was found unmarked by a low cross but he blasted his shot wide.
Petrojet, who looked out-of-sorts, levelled the score against the run of play in the 33rd minute when Koffi rose unchallenged at the far post to meet a cross with a header that struck the hands of Ekramy and went in.
However, television replays showed that Koffi was in an offside position when the ball was crossed.
Ahly restored their lead just one minute later when a mis-timed jump by Petrojet guardian Ibrahim Abdel-Gawad allowed Ghaly to tower and head home a cross despite a desperate attempt by a defender to clear it before it crossed the goal-line.
Ahly punished
The lively Soliman was surprisingly replaced in the second half, making way for left wing-back Ahmed Shedid who had a minimal impact on the game.
Ahly were still in control, managing to create two goal-scoring opportunities which were wasted by Mohamed Abou-Treika, who is still struggling to rediscover his form, and striker Emad Meteb.
Abou-Treika eluded his challenger with a catchy feint but his powerful shot from the edge of the area was denied by Abdel-Gawad. Meteb went a step further, dribbling past three defenders in the 18-yard box and sending in a low shot which went past Abdel-Gawad before a last-ditch interception from Petrojet’s Osama Mohamed cleared the danger.
Ahly were punished for their wastefulness in the 67th minute when Ekramy spilled an innocuous shot into the path of Samna, who tapped into an empty net to silence the crowd and earn Petrojet a share of honours.
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