Hala through to HM the King’s Cup final

TDT | Manama                      

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com   

Al Hala scraped through to the final of this year’s His Majesty the King’s Cup football tournament last night after defeating Manama 2-1 in extra-time.

Waleed Al Tayeb scored the winning goal in the 98th minute to separate the two sides in a hotly contested affair.

The two teams cancelled each other out in regular time, with goals in the first half from Manama’s Mahdi Abduljabbar and Al Hala’s Alain Eyenga.

Hala now move on to the title-deciding match where they will face the winner of the other semi-final between defending league champions Riffa and Al Ahli.

That game will be played tonight, scheduled for a 6.30pm kick-off.

The date of the final has yet to be released by the Bahrain Football Association.

In last night’s match, Manama were first to find the net in the 14th minute when Mohammed Al Marmour sent in a cross from the left and Abduljabbar hit a brilliant bicycle kick.

Abduljabbar didn’t make full contact with the ball but did so just enough to send it into the net.

Hala were then awarded an opportunity to equalise after a penalty was given for a foul in the box.

Eyenga stepped up to take the spot kick and he made no mistake with his effort.

Neither team could find the net once again in regulation, but in the eighth minute of the first-half of extra-time, Al Tayeb scored for Hala.

He sent the ball home with a clinical finish after rounding Manama defender Ahmed Nabeel and then shooting past goalkeeper Ammar Abbas.

Manama’s Mohammed Kamel Abdulrazzaq appeared to have levelled the proceedings once more in the 115th minute, but his headed goal was disallowed due to an offside ruling