BEIRUT: Two-time defending champions Safa moved to within a point of league leaders Nejmeh after a 2-1 win over Ansar Monday in matchday 18 of the Lebanese Football League.
Safa appeared to have squandered another pair of valuable points when Eddy Prince’s 81st minute strike canceled out Hamzeh Salameh’s opener, but the Safa forward was on target again two minutes from time to hand the holders a crucial win in one of the most fiercely contested seasons in recent memory.
The win moves Safa to second place in the standings on 35 points, one behind front-runners Nejmeh, while third-placed Racing (34) remain a point ahead of Ahed.
In a one-sided first half, Ansar were in danger of being entirely blown away as Hussein Sayed’s calamitous error gifted Salameh the easiest of goals after 10 minutes.
All signs pointed to Safa extending their lead shortly thereafter as first; Hasan Hazimeh cracked the post on 26 minutes before Mahmoud Kojok could only find the side netting with his effort 13 minutes later.
Ansar finally engineered an opportunity in the opening period when Brazilian Ramos’ free kick glanced Ziad al-Samad’s post.
Safa’s wastefulness looked to have cost them all three points after Prince’s 81st minute slalom run was capped by a cool finish from the African forward.
But in the dying stages, Salameh managed to rescue Safa and keep their title bid alive, sweeping home from Tamer Hajj Mohammad’s pinpoint center.
Source: The Daily Star