Al Sadd players celebrate a goal during their QSL match against Mesaimeer yesterday. The Wolves won the match 5-1. (Below) Sadd coach Jesualdo Ferreira. PICS: Anas Khalid


By Sports Reporter/Doha


Al Sadd, despite playing without three key players, were still able to thrash Mesaimeer 5-1 in their Round 13 clash yesterday.
The Wolves took to the field yesterday with their regular midfield stars missing in action. Xavi, Hassan al-Haydous and Ali Assadalla didn’t make it to the starting eleven due to injuries. But that didn’t seem to matter as bench stepped up and delivered a strong performance.  
Sadd scored as early as in the third minute and then aided by the lacklustre defending of Mesaimeer scored three more goals in the first half and one in the second to demolish Mesaimeer yesterday.
Right at the start of the match, an erratic Mesaimeer pass gifted the ball to Muriqui who passed towards Nadir Belhadj. The Algerian ran down the left flank and then passed towards the centre. Meshaal al-Shammari couldn’t connect but Hamza Sanhaji was present at the far corner to knock it in. This was in the third minute and it was such defensive lapses that cost Mesaimeer the match.
The second goal was scored when Mesaimeer defender Abdulrahman Said failed to clear the ball and al-Shammari was able to easily tap it in.
An unmarked Muriqui had an easy tap in in the 41st minute. Then two minutes later Khalfan Ibrahim produced a great ‘dribble and shoot’ solo effort to score Sadd’s fourth goal.  
In the second half, Sadd were subdued, as compared to their first half invasion. But they still managed to score in the 51st minute when defender Kasola Mohamed scored with a header.
Mesaimeer got a consolation strike when Erivelto Silva converted a penalty in the 82nd minute.
This win will help Sadd get over their 4-2 loss to El Jaish in the previous round. Sadd coach Jesualdo Ferreira was a happy man after the result saying that his team full deserved to win the encounter. He said that it was a fair result and that Sadd could have scored more goals had they not become lax following the fifth goal.
“We managed to win the match with five goals and dominate the match playing with good teamwork and harmony,” Ferreira said during the post-match press conference yesterday.
Playing with a weakened side, the Portuguese coach was happy that the youngsters were able to step up and deliver. “I am happy with Meshaal al-Shammari and Gaser Yahya who started the match from the beginning in light of the many absentees who are away with the Qatar Olympic team, in addition to the injured players.
The Sadd coach added that he would give his players four days off as rest before preparing for the next game, which will be the Round 15 tie against Umm Salal on January 3rd.
As for the league campaign, Ferreira said: “We seek to work hard and be focused. Practice is completely different from an official match. I hope all the absent players return so that we can reach a better level of harmony. I now know most of them and they know me perfectly well too. There is balance and positivity in the work now and the level of the players has improved.”