Umm Salal beat Al Wakrah 4-1 in Week 9 of the 2021-2022 season QNB Stars League at the Al Arabi Stadium on Thursday.

Ayman Ghadban (first and 45th minutes) and Yassin Bakhit (64th and 80th minutes) powered Umm Salal to their first win of the season and they are on nine points.

Nasser Saleh Al Yazidi scored Al Wakrah’s goal in the 54th minute.

The teams barely settled into their groove when Umm Salal found the net in the opening minute. Ghadban picked up a ball near the half line and ran all the way towards the Al Wakrah box. As he got close to the goalmouth, Al Wakrah keeper Saoud Al Khater stepped out of his position, but Gadban quickly slipped the ball into the left corner.

Al Wakrah’s influential striker Mohamed Benyettou swivelled and took a shot from inside the Umm Salal box, but the ball was blocked by a defender in the 21st minute.

The hits and misses from Al Wakrah continued when their Brazilian defender Lucas Mendes mistimed an easy shot from the edge of the Umm Salal box in the 42nd minute.

As the first half drew to a close, Umm Salal doubled their lead. Bakhit, following a long run with ball, gave a cross to Ghadban, who easily deflected a shot into the goal from close range.

Saoud Al Nasr of Al Wakrah launched a bullet from outside the Umm Salal box, but keeper Khalifa Aboobacar parried the ball above the crossbar in the 51st minute.

Three minutes later, Al Wakrah reduced the deficit when Al Yazidi – after a cross from Omid Ebrahimi - tapped the ball into the net from close range with a quick swivel.

In the 64th minute, Bakhit exhibited remarkable control and speed as he charged into the Al Wakrah box following a loopy cross. Despite being chased by Al Wakrah’s tall defender Ousmane Coulibaly, Bakhit drilled a shot into the net for his side’s third goal.

Bakhit added one more goal through a left-footed drive that went to the left of Al Wakrah keeper as Umm Salal wrapped up a convincing win.