FOOTBALL – JUAN Villa Ruiz scored twice as Al Ahli secured a 4-3 victory over Malkiya and Sitra eased past Al Khaldiya 2-0 in the final-round matches of the Nasser Bin Hamad Bahrain Premier League last night.
Ruiz put Ahli ahead in the ninth minute of the match. Sayed Shubbar Alawi made it 2-0 in the 23rd minute before Ruiz scored his second goal, in the 33rd minute. A penalty conversion by Bekaye Wade in the additional time of the first half helped Malkiya reduce the margin as Ahli led 3-1 at half-time.
Ahli surged to a three-goal lead three minutes into the second half when Saleh Mohamed Alashban scored from the penalty spot. Two minutes later, Hamza Sanhaji reduced the margin for Malkiya and they raised hopes of a victory when an own goal by Ahli’s Saud Al Asam in the 65th minute took them closer to their opponents. Ahli, however, managed to hang on to the one-goal lead and conclude their campaign on a winning note.
Al Ahli concluded their campaign in the seventh place with 27 points while Malkiya are right ahead of them with 28 points.
Meanwhile, in the other final-round match of the night, Sitra saw off Al Khaldiya at the Muharraq Stadium. Abdulwasea Al Matari and Othman Alhaj scored in the 17th and 19th minutes of the match to secure Sitra’s victory.
Khaldiya have finished in the second position with 42 points, nine points adrift of champions Muharraq, while Sitra are third with 38 points.
Muharraq were crowned the league champions on Monday night. The trophy was presented to Muharraq by His Majesty King Hamad’s representative for humanitarian work and youth affairs and Supreme Council for Youth and Sport (SCYS) chairman Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa.
Present on the occasion was SCYS first deputy chairman, General Sports Authority chairman and Bahrain Olympic Committee president Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa.
A’ali and Bahrain Club, ninth and tenth respectively, will face Isa Town and Al Hala, third and fourth respectively from the Second Division, in a relegation play-off tournament that would see two teams remain/promoted to the Nasser Bin Hamad Premier League.
East Rifa and Manama have been relegated from the league.
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