League

Rayleigh
Spectators: 5000 (Terracing: 4000, Seating: 1000, VIP seats: 0) It was fairly windy and cold on the field when Qasim Talab kicked off to start the match. After 6 played minutes Red Star Beirut got a freekick which was hit by Saad Sheikh. In the 8th match minute, Rayleigh was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Zafar Maymun to maneuver through the defense. Thanks to some nice foot action and superb ball handling Imad Ilias in the 12th minute a chance for a shot on goal. With an extended leg and a bit of luck Bashar Bakri prevented the ball from getting in the gole. When Red Star Beirut's Imad Ilias, in the 12th minute, received a pass right in front of the net, it looked like a certain goal, but his shot went outside. A wasted opportunity for Red Star Beirut. Falah Abou Fakr took care of the ball after a well-directed shot from Qasim Talab, even though the ball almost passed him on his left side. 16 minutes into the game, Zafar Maymun was given a yellow card after he appeared to trip an opposing player. Rayleigh's manager was livid on the sidelines, but the referee was unmoved and gave Red Star Beirut the free kick. In the 16th minute, Zafar Maymun hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. When the match had gone on for 26 minutes, Yehia Romad took a quick shot and it went in 1-0 without a chance for Falah Abou Fakr to make any attempt to save it. With a little luck, Red Star Beirut's Falah Abou Fakr got control of the ball when Sabri Abou Fayouz tried to sneak it across the goal line. An unexpectedly hard shot by Qasim Talab in the 32nd minute of play forced Red Star Beirut's goalkeeper Falah Abou Fakr to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. After a rather tough play, Red Star Beirut's Muhannad Imam got a free kick in the 39th minute. Dani Hilmi struck a weak shot in the 40th minute. Falah Abou Fakr didn't even have to move as the ball rolled over the line well wide of the goal. A wasted opportunity for Rayleigh. Falah Abou Fakr was in the perfect position, and the defense had done a good job marking him, but Sabri Abou Fayouz showcased his skills and made a perfect shot to score 2-0 in the 47 minute of play. No-one was surprised that the home team were leading 2-0 at half-time.

In the 53rd minute Haidar Hilmi shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Falah Abou Fakr saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. An unexpectedly hard shot by Qasim Talab in the 59th minute of play forced Red Star Beirut's goalkeeper Falah Abou Fakr to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. An unexpectedly hard shot by Qasim Talab in the 62nd minute of play forced Red Star Beirut's goalkeeper Falah Abou Fakr to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. Rayleigh's Salhat Zahid suffered a sore knee after 65 minutes and couldn't finish the game. Rayleigh made a substitution. Kamel Sadeq replaced Salhat Zahid. The supporters of Rayleigh booed when Red Star Beirut was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 67 match minutes in a wonderful position. Imad Ilias didn't get a good kick on the ball. 70 minutes into the game, Rayleigh's Yehia Romad nearly tore a hole in the net with a booming shot. Falah Abou Fakr made a valiant effort, but he could not reach the ball in time, 3-0. Yaser Basim hit a great freekick 73 minutes into the match. An unexpectedly hard shot by Sabri Abou Fayouz in the 82nd minute of play forced Red Star Beirut's goalkeeper Falah Abou Fakr to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. Falah Abou Fakr came out of the goal in the 82nd minute to try and stop a shot by Rayleigh's Sabri Abou Fayouz. But to his dismay, Sabri Abou Fayouz quickly shot the ball in between his legs and into the goal making it 4-0. In the 89th minute, Qasim Talab left the goalkeeper for dead before tapping the ball into the right side of the net. The Rayleigh fans were clearly happy with the effort and the scoreboard reflected the new score: 5-0. In the 98th minute the ball was on its way in behind Red Star Beirut's goalkeeper Falah Abou Fakr, but with the help of a sacrificing defense, he could catch the ball at the crossbar. Rayleigh walked away with a well-earned victory that was much celebrated by the crowd.