Match Report
7 points and 1 places separated them: Al Ahed 2nd with 6, Central Coast Mariners 1st with 13. Recent form told a different story for Al Ahed: only 20th in the league over the last five rounds despite sitting 2nd. Per game in the league, Al Ahed were scoring 1.25 and conceding 1.25, Central Coast Mariners 3.5 and 1.17, against a competition average of 1.68 goals per team per game.
Central Coast Mariners had won three straight, having scored in 7 consecutive games.
Sultan Qaboos Sport Complex in Muscat staged the fixture, a ground that holds 34,000. Half-time and full-time told different stories: it was 0-0 at the break, before 1 more goal closed it at 0-1.