Ahli came from behind to beat 10-man Al-Shabab 2-1 in their second round of the Saudi Premier League match at the Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium here on Thursday. Former Al-Ahli defender Naif Al-Qadi put Al-Shabab ahead but the home team stormed through after the break first to draw level the game through Turki Al-Thagafi while the International striker Malek Al-Hawsawi sealed the win and earn his side its first three points. Al-Ahli, which lost its first match against Al-Nasr 2-1 in Riyadh, was the better side in the second half, especially after the equalizing. Al-Shabab, however, dominated the first half and it was Naif Al-Qadi who put his team in front through a header in the 38th minute. The pressure on the home team mounted as Al-Shabab pressed forward looking to increase the lead but Al-Ahli's Algerian defender Adel Maiza did well to keep Al-Shabab players at bay. Turki Al-Thagafi helped Ahli equalize five minutes after the break when his shot from the left edge of the box found the Shabab net. Al-Shabab was reduced to 10 players in the 61st minute when Al-Qadi was sent off after he brought down Al-Ahli striker Hassan Al-Raheb inside the box. Ahli captain Saheb Al-Abdullah, however, failed to convert the resulting spot kick. Malek Al-Hawsawi finally earned Ahli the lead after driving from the left side to send the ball into Al-Shabab's goal. In Tabouk, Egyptian Emad Mete'b put on another brilliant show as his brace helped Al-Ittihad down Al-Watani 2-1 at the King Khaled Stadium. Mete'b had also scored for Ittihad in its 5-1 win against Al-Raed in its first clash. Fahd Abu Jaber scored the consolation goal for Al-Watani from the spot in the dying minutes of the game. The win keeps Al-Ittihad on the top of the standings with six points and a better goal average. Al-Hilal which beat Al-Raed 2-0 at King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, Thursday, sits in the second spot also with six points. Ahmed Al-Fraidi and substitute Ahmed AL-Swaileh scored the Riyadh side's goals. At the King Abdul Aziz Sports City in Makkah, Al-Nasr beat the home team Al-Wehdah 2-1 thanks to two goals from Ahmed Al-Mubarak and Saad Al-Harthi while Al-Wehdah's lone goal was scored by Amir Al-Akrout. Elsewhere, Najran vs. Abha and Al-Hazm vs. Al-Ittifaq games each ended in a 1-1 draw. The league will resume after Eid Al-Fitr with six matches scheduled for on Oct. 4. __
