Toney breaks record as Al Ahli win five-goal thriller | OneFootball

Ivan Toney’s 42-second header set the tone for a 3-2 win for Al Ahli against Al Shabab in front of 18,253 fans at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City in Matchweek 14 of the Roshn Saudi League on Friday.

In what was head coach Fatih Terim’s first RSL match in charge of Al Shabab, his side found themselves falling behind inside the opening minute. A misplaced pass from Musab Al Juwayr was collected by Gabri Veiga, the Spaniard fed Riyad Mahrez down the right for the former Manchester City winger to float a pinpoint cross to Toney.

The England international headed home what proved to be the fastest goal in the history of RSL clashes between Al Ahli and Al Shabab, clocked at a mere 42 seconds.

Even before the quarter-hour mark, Al Ahli had doubled their lead. Toney dispossessed Colombian midfielder Gustavo Cuellar inside Al Shabab’s half and found Roberto Firmino, who sent Veiga through on goal. The 22-year-old coolly slotted past goalkeeper Abdullah Al Mayouf for 2-0 to the home side.

The hosts started the second half the same way they did the first; Veiga did well to control Franck Kessie’s diagonal pass and beat his marker down the left before crossing for Toney, whose towering header beat Al Mayouf but bounced back off the upright. However, it was buried home by onrushing left-back Saad Belobaid.

It wasn't all one-way traffic, though, as Al Ahli goalkeeper Edouard Mendy had to show his quality when he was called upon at the hour mark. Al Shabab striker Abderrazak Hamdallah looked to finish Al Juwayr’s fine pass on the half-volley from close range, but the Senegal international produced a fine reflex save with his left foot to deny the Moroccan.

Al Shabab finally pulled one back 18 minutes from time when Al Juwayr exchanged passes with Mohammed Al Thani and drilled a shot from the right flank. His effort took a slight deflection off the toe of Merih Demiral and ended up in the back of the Al Ahli net.

Deep inside six minutes of added time, Al Juwayr gave Al Shabab a glimmer of hope when his delivery from the left into the Al Ahli penalty area evaded everyone including Mendy to find its way to the far corner to make it 3-2.

It was too little too late, however, as Al Ahli walked away with the three points. A fifth win on the trot for Matthias Jaissle’s men keeps them fifth in the standings, but sees them open a three-point margin with sixth-placed Al Shabab. Crucially, Al Ahli stay two points behind Al Nassr, who occupy the final AFC Champions League Elite spot in third.

Meanwhile, Terim, who had won on his Al Shabab debut - the King’s Cup quarter-final victory against Al Fayha - will next face another direct rival when his side host seventh-placed Al Riyadh, who lie one point behind them, in Matchweek 15.

Al Ettifaq 2-3 Al Kholood

Also on Friday, Al Kholood grabbed a late, late winner to deny Steven Gerrard's Al Ettifaq a second successive win as the hosts went down 3-2 in Dammam thanks in large to a double from Myziane Maolida.

Jackson Muleka opened the scoring for the visitors from the penalty spot in the 26th minute, only for Al Ettifaq captain Georginio Wijnaldum to meet Moussa Dembele’s flick on four minutes later to level the contest from close range.

Maolida then restored Al Kholood’s advantage shortly after half-time following a brilliantly improvised assist from Muleka, before Al Ettifaq seemed to snatch a point when Dembele himself converted a spot-kick six minutes into injury-time.

However, incredibly there was still time for Al Kholood to clinch the three points, with Maolida getting on the end of William Troost-Ekong’s superb long ball over the top to lob past Al Ettifaq goalkeeper Marek Rodak and send the away side wild in celebration.

The goal, clocked at 100 minutes, means Al Kholood jump to 13th in the standings, only two points and two places behind Al Ettifaq.

Al Raed 0-2 Damac

Elsewhere, Nuno Almeida’s Damac tenure got off to the perfect start wth his new side winning 2-0 at Al Raed.

The Portuguese manager, one of four fresh coaching additions to the RSL during the winter break, would have delighted in the visitors’ opening right before half-time. Arriving on 44 minutes, the in-form Georges-Kevin N’Koudou found the surging Nicolae Stanciu with a sublime over-the-top long ball, who flicked his finish home.

Damac would have to wait until the end of the next half once more to make safe the result. This time, defender Farouk Chafai got on the scoresheet, when the Algeria met Hazzaa Al Ghmadi’s flick-on from a corner to volley past Meshari Sunyur in the Al Raed goal.

The victory keeps Damac 10th but draws them only two points from eighth-placed Al Khaleej, while Al Raed remain 12th.