Video: Al-Hilal turn the tables on Al-Faisaly on the night of Jarmoosh's downfall!

The leader triumphs over Qatar

Al-Hilal opened their second season in the "Joy" Elite Under-21 League with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Al-Faisaly on Monday evening. The opening-round clash swung one way then the other, keeping the outcome in doubt until the closing minutes.

Al-Faisaly caught their opponents cold. Dayo Osho found the net inside the second minute, handing his side an early lead and leaving "the Leader" chasing the game from the off.

Turki Al-Ghamil turned the tie on its head in the space of three minutes. He arrived on cue to level in the 26th minute, then struck again in the 29th to put Al-Hilal in front and swing the momentum their way.

The lead did nothing to calm the contest. Al-Faisaly kept pressing for an equaliser while Al-Hilal looked to exploit the spaces and hurt them on quick transitions, both sides trading blows and carrying a genuine threat.

Attacks flew both ways after the restart. Al-Faisaly went in search of the equaliser more than once, while Al-Hilal hunted a third to kill the game off, yet the score held firm through resolute defending and wayward finishing at both ends.

Then came the chance to settle it. The referee pointed to the spot for "the Leader" deep in stoppage time, but Abdulaziz Jarmoush wasted it in the final minute, handing Al-Faisaly one last opening to salvage something.

Jarmoush's miss mattered little in the end. Al-Hilal clung on to the whistle to bank their first three points and launch their "Joy" League title bid with a valuable win. Al-Faisaly trudged off crushed, having led from the second minute only to see it slip away inside three first-half minutes.