JEDDAH: Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli took some doing before getting past their opponents but Al-Ittihad continued to disappoint following a 1-1 draw with Al-Fateh in round 12 action in the Saudi Professional League on Tuesday.
In the first match in Riyadh, Hilal secured a very difficult 2-1 win against Al-Qadisia 2-1 at Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium.
The result meant undefeated Hilal added to its league-leading tally of 32 points, while Qadisia stayed next to last in the team standings on seven points.
In Buraidah, Ahli stemmed a run of four draws to win against Al-Raid 2-1, its fourth as it temporarily jumped to fourth position on 15 points. Al-Raid remained last in the standings with a mere six points.
In front of its fans at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium in Jeddah, Ittihad failed to get the game’s three points from Fateh.
Ittihad was first to score courtesy of Busharwan in the 58th minute. Fateh restored parity in the match when Ahmad Bu Obaid struck in the 75th minute.
Ittihad remained third in the standings with 19 points and Al-Fateh fifth with 14 points.
In the last match of the day, Al-Nasr drew with Al-Hazem 2-2 in Al-Rass.
Nasr went 2-0 up in the first half from a Hazem own goal in the 13th minute and Al-Sahlawi’s market in the 27th minute.
Hazem pulled one back after Waleed Al-Jizani scored in the 66th minute, and just as when Nasr looked well on its way to victory the host team equalized via an injury time goal by Salahddin Oqal. The draw left Nasr and Hazem both on 12 points although the former came seventh and the latter eighth on goal difference.
The action continues on Wednesday with two matches. In Dammam, Al-Ittifaq hosts Wehda of Makkah and Al-Shabab welcomes Najran in the second match of the day.
