Umm Salal defeated Al Khor 1-0 in Week 13 of the 2020-21 season QNB Stars League at the Al Duhail Stadium on Friday.

Kayke Rodriguez scored the all-important goal by converting a penalty in the 14th minute.

Umm Salal scripted their third victory and are on 13 points. The Orange Fortress are thus back on the winning path after suffering their first defeat in five games when they lost 0-1 to holders Al Duhail in Week 12.

Al Khor, who lost 0-3 to Al Arabi in Week 12, are now precariously placed in the 11th position, staring very much at relegation, with seven points, just one point more than bottom-placed Al Kharaitiyat, who had lost 1-3 to Qatar SC on Thursday.

It was The Knights’ eighth defeat.

Referee Abdulrahman Al Jassim awarded the penalty after Umm Salal’s Ahmed Hammoudan was fouled by Al Khor defender Elnagi Elsadiq and prolific scorer Kayke, who switched from Qatar SC to Umm Salal recently, was bang on target from the spot.

Al Khor tried hard for an equaliser and made several attempts at the goal, but found Umm Salal goalkeeper Baba Malick a tough nut to crack on more occasions than one.

Ismail Elhaddad came the closest to scoring in the 32nd minute.

On to the second half, Al Khor goalkeeper Baba Djibril thwarted Hammoudan and Ismail again made attempts in the 56th and 60th minutes, but Umm Salal held fort to register a crucial victory.

Al Khor and Umm Salal had played out a goalless draw in the first leg of 2020-21 season QNB Stars League.