Manama extend title race lead

TDT | Manama                                                

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com     

Manama extended their lead last night in the tremendously tight title race for the 2022/2023 title in the Nasser bin Hamad Bahrain Premier Football League with a resounding 4-1 victory over Budaiya.

Ebrahim Al Khattal registered a brace while Mahdi Abduljabbar and Mohammed Al Hallaq were also on target for the victors.

With their result, Manama improved to 38 points to go three points clear at the top of the table.

Budaiya stayed in dead last and are headed for relegation.

Sultan Mansour Sultana opened the scoring in the 35th minute and put Budaiya ahead with a coolly hit free-kick from a metre outside the box, which swerved into topright corner of goal.

But Abduljabbar equalised in the 43rd off a rebound after an Al Hallaq shot that was saved by the opposing goalkeeper.

Al Khattal soon after gave Manama a 2-1 lead in the third minute of first-half stoppage time, again off a rebound from a parried Al Hallaq shot.

Al Khattal made no mistake with his effort from close range, from nearly the same spot as Abduljabbar struck previously.

After the re-start, Al Khattal made it 3-1 in the 64th minute with a header in the face of goal following a lobbed cross from Franck Kony Nsanget.

Al Hallaq then got his name onto the scoresheet with a brilliant 72nd minute rocket from the outside edge of the penalty box which flew into the net.

Manama rose to 38 points following their 11th win in 19 matches. Budaiya suffered their 16th loss and stayed on negative-one points.

In last night’s other match, Muharraq, currently a part of the title fight, missed out on the chance close the gap on Manama after being held to a goalless draw by Bahrain Club.