Three quick ones

By Mohamed El-Sayed

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Ahli broke a record in an otherwise lazy encounter against Tersana photo: Amr Gamal

AHLI set a new local record in their match against relegation-bound Tersana after scoring the three fastest goals in a national league game. Mohamed El-Sayed reports

The Red Devils netted three goals within five minutes, something no other Egyptian team has ever done. Other than that, the game itself, which ended 4-2 for Ahli, held little meaning for the winner who is sure to finish in second place After 60 minutes of dull, goalless football, Mohamed Abu-Treika, ex-Tersana player who went to the Red Devils during the transfer period in January, hit the opener in the 60th minute with an impressive acrobatic header. Wael Riyad netted the second and third in the 63rd and the 64th minutes.

Having gathered only 22 points, Tersana are tied in 11th place in the standings with Upper Egyptian Aswan who lost to Ismaili 3-1 on their home turf. One of the two teams are sure to pay farewell to the premiership along with Qanah and Koroum.

In Cairo, Zamalek, early winners of the title, edged Misri of Port Said 2-1. Alaa Ibrahim, a former Ahli striker, fired the visitors ahead in the 26th minute. Abdel-Halim Ali levelled for the whites seven minutes before half-time. In the 68th minute, he hit the winner for the home side with a controversial penalty handed by the still inexperienced referee Ayman Hafez, who denied the visitors an obvious penalty in the first half.

Ali has scored against Misri the last four times he has played them. He tops the goal-scorers list with 19 goals, five ahead of Abu-Treika. Having scored in six consecutive matches, Ali is trying to tie Ahmed Bilal's national league record of scoring in nine consecutive matches.

In other matches, the Coastal Guards punished the already relegated Qanah 4-1 in Ismailia. Ghazl Al-Mehalla levelled 1-1 with Ittihad of Alexandria. Koroum of Alexandria registered their second victory this season, beating Baladiyet Al-Mehalla 2-1.

Mansoura snatched a precious win, defeating middle-of-the-table Enppi 1-0.