Jazira make their point emphatically

ABU DHABI // Ibrahim Diaky conceded he was not performing up to the high standards that Al Jazira supporters had come to expect from the team's playmaker. He addressed that last night.

The captain, a native Ivorian, scored two dazzling goals from distance as Al Jazira overpowered Baniyas before 9,241 fans at Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium and moved to the top of the table. "I get some criticism for my play," Diaky said. "It has not been normal. You can't be at your level every time. I've been working hard to get back to that level."

He seemed back to his best last night against a Baniyas side who had the motivation of moving back to the top of the table. A closely-contested match turned on a powerful strike by Diaky in the 37th minute, a bullet from 30 yards that arrowed into the top-right corner of the net. Diaky was just warming up. He provided the assist for Subait Khater in the 73rd minute and added another long-range goal in the 78th to take his season tally to three goals.

Ahmed Jumaa, the substitute, scored five minutes from time to complete the rout. Diaky said Jazira approached the match in a positive frame of mind. "Baniyas are a good side. They have a lot of points, and we knew we could go into first position with a win." He went on to admit that winning a first league championship is Jazira's sole priority this season. "Our goal is to be champions," he said. "We will do our best for a title." Asked to assess the club's chances of winning the crown, he smiled and confidently said, "100 per cent."

This match was not as easy for Jazira as the score would indicate, and the home side had several nervous moments early in the second half before Khater's goal seemed to puncture the enthusiasm of the visitors. In fact, Abel Braga's team's one-goal lead was threatened when Fareed Ismail, the Baniyas substitute, nearly scored an equaliser 11 minutes into the second half. His volley from a dipping cross from Fawzi Basheer went agonisingly wide, and the goalkeeper Ali Kasheif went on to pick up his third clean sheet in four matches.

Baniyas, who for much of the match seemed the keener and more energetic side, kept up the pressure but they lacked a cutting edge in front of goal.

apassela@thenational.ae