SINGAPORE: Sharjah beat Lion City Sailors 2-1 on Sunday to win the AFC Champions League Two title in dramatic fashion.

A second half goal from Firas Ben Larbi looked to have been enough to give the team from the UAE a first continental title at the Singapore home of their opponents. Yet Maxime Lestienne’s injury time equaliser appeared likely to send the game into extra-time before the impressive Marcus Meloni won it in the 97th minute.

It was the end of a long run to the final for Cosmin Olaroiu, who now leaves the club to take charge of the UAE national team with a 22nd title as a coach, and his men and it was a hard-fought victory in front of 10,000 fans at the Bishan Stadium.

Lion City had the best chances of the first half and the home fans thought that the deadlock had been broken after 35 minutes. Rui Pires found Diego Costa on the left corner of the area and the Portuguese star controlled the ball and then, in the same motion, fired a low shot that came back off the post.

One of the visitors’ best moments came in added time at the end of the first half. David Petrovic curled a dangerous cross into the area from the left but Luanzinho’s header was just a little too high and a little too wide.

Midway through the second half Sharjah should have taken the lead. Ousmane Camara rose high at the near post to meet a corner from Meloni but headed just wide with the goal at his mercy. Seconds later, Luanzinho fired into the side-netting. Soon after that, Ben Larbi had the ball in the net, although the Tunisian was clearly offside.

Then with 16 minutes remaining Sharjah took the lead to the delight of a sizeable contingent of fans in red and white. Khaled Ibrahim timed his run on the right side of the area perfectly to put the ball across the face of goal for Ben Larbi to tap home from close range.

Ten minutes later, Sharjah almost extended their lead. Meloni’s clever free kick from the right was blocked by Izwan Mahbud and Cho Yu-min, quick to the rebound, headed over from close range.

The hosts pushed forward in search of an equaliser and while they had chances, Sharjah looked fairly comfortable. Then just after 11 minutes added time had been signalled, it was all square. Costa’s pass found its way to Lestienne in space in the area, and the Belgian fired home.

As all prepared themselves for extra time, Sharjah won it in the 97th minute through a piece of Meloni magic. The Brazilian-born midfielder had possession on the left of a crowded area, made room for himself and then curled a perfect shot from a tight angle into the opposite corner. It was a goal worthy of winning any final.

There were some scary moments as the Sailors threw everything forward but this time, Sharjah held on and celebrated in front of their delirious travelling fans.

“It means a lot for us, the country and the fans and we worked so hard for this,” Meloni said. “The final was like the rest of the competition. I am happy to score the winning goal but this was for the team and the coach, who deserves it.”

LONDON: Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze sparked a massive south London party by scoring the only goal to win the FA Cup 1-0 against Manchester City on Saturday and claim the club’s first major trophy in their history.

Local boy Eze volleyed in after 16 minutes, former Manchester United goalkeeper Dean Henderson performed heroics in the Palace goal and City contrived to waste a sack-load of chances including a penalty in an enthralling final.

After England forward Eze, whose goals in the last eight and semis fired his team into the final for the third time, scored completely against the run of play, Palace had to survive a City siege to spark wild celebrations.

Omar Marmoush had a first-half penalty saved by Henderson as City lost in the Cup final for a second successive season, summing up a harrowing campaign in which they have been dethroned as the powerhouse of English football and will go without a domestic trophy for the first time since 2016-17.

For Palace’s massed ranks decked in purple and blue, it was a day of unbridled joy as Oliver Glasner’s team rode their luck to make it third time lucky after suffering defeats in their previous two FA Cup final appearances in 1990 and 2016.

Glasner, who took charge of the club 15 months ago, becomes the first Austrian coach to win the FA Cup.
City have been a pale imitation of the side that has dominated the English game for the most of the past decade.

But the way they began at Wembley suggested that Pep Guardiola’s side were determined to prove that talk of their demise had been greatly exaggerated.

Having picked an ultra-attacking lineup shorn of defensive midfielders, City hemmed Palace deep inside their own half for the opening 15 minutes with Kevin de Bruyne pulling the strings on what was his last Wembley appearance in City’s colors.

BRILLIANT HENDERSON

His lofted ball picked out Erling Haaland whose stretching effort at the far post was brilliantly saved by Henderson who shortly afterwards beat out Josko Gvardiol’s header.

Palace finally broke the siege and in their first foray beyond the halfway line they ripped through City’s lines.

Jean-Philippe Mateta played in Daniel Munoz and his cross was met by Eze who flashed a first-time volley past Stefan Ortega to provoke an eruption of noise from the Palace fans.

Ismaila Sarr nearly made it 2-0 but Ortega saved and Palace’s hearts were in their mouths when Henderson appeared to have handled the ball outside his area under pressure from Haaland but a subsequent VAR check spared him a possible red card.

There was no escape for Palace defender Tyrick Mitchell when he tripped Bernardo Silva and referee Stuart Attwell pointed to the spot. Surprisingly, Haaland did not take it and instead Omar Marmoush stepped forward for his first penalty since joining City in January, but his effort lacked conviction and Henderson dived to his right to save.

Henderson made a flying save to keep out Jeremy Doku’s curling effort as Palace reached halftime ahead despite having only 19 percent of possession.

Munoz thought he had made it 2-0 just past the hour mark but a lengthy VAR check ruled his effort out for offside.

Seven-time winners City went close numerous times after the break with Henderson and his defenders performing heroics to preserve Palace’s lead.

A huge groan went up from the Palace fans as 10 minutes of stoppage time but after more close shaves and nail-biting the final whistle sounded and the club’s anthem Glad All Over bellowed around the stadium.