Umm Salal defeated Al Sailiya 1-0 in Week 21 of the 2020-21 season QNB Stars League at the Al Ahli Stadium on Wednesday. 

Kayke Rodrigues scored the all-important goal in the 59th minute as Umm Salal celebrated having avoided the relegation play-off against Second Division runners-up.

Umm Salal moved to 21 points after their fifth victory, while Al Sailiya remained on 26 points following their ninth defeat.

Umm Salal goalkeeper Baba Malick denied Al Sailiya an early goal, diving on his left to block Tiago Bezerra’s header in the second minute.  

Al Sailiya were keeping Malick busy with repeated attacks and looked in total control of the match. A dangerous hit by Al Sailiya’s Nadir Belhadj from outside the box following a corner kick just missed the target.  

In a first attack from Umm Salal on the half-hour mark, Rabeh Yahia’s attempt was thwarted well by Al Sailiya goalkeeper Claude Amine, who ran to deny room to the striker.         

Tiago wasted a penalty in the 36th minute as his push on the right struck the upright, though Malick dived in the opposite direction. Referee Abdulla Ali Athba, after consulting VAR, handed the penalty for Omar Yahya’s handball following a corner kick.   

Five minutes before the break, Amine made a superb save diving on his right to deflect a spectacular free-kick taken by Kayke as first half ended in a stalemate.

The Orange Fortress returned as a better side, with Ahmed Hammoudan leading the attack soon after the second half started. They won a free-kick, around 10 yards outside the box, but this time Kayke’s hit from a difficult angle was off target.  

Yahya warded off an attack by Al Sailiya in the 50th minute, diving to deflect a shot by Tiago from near the penalty area.     

Kayke finally broke the deadlock, following a superb run by captain Lawrance Quaye inside the box. Quaye crossed the ball, which reached Kayke after taking Amine’s touch. The Brazilian’s first attempt took Ramin Rezaeian’s rebound, with Kayke giving no chance in his second hit, volleying the ball in the left corner to score the winning goal.            

Malick was influential in parrying several Al Sailiya attacks later in the match as Umm Salal secured an impressive victory.