(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Al Gharafa strengthened their grip at the top of the Qatar Stars League (QSL) with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Qatar SC at Thani Bin Jassim Stadium yesterday.

The victory took The Cheetahs' tally to 22 points, keeping them in first place, while Qatar SC remained third on 17 points, behind Al Shamal, who moved up to second with 18 after a 2-2 draw with Al Wakrah earlier in the day.

Despite being reduced to 10 men after South Korean defender Jang Hyun-soo was sent off in the 38th minute for a reckless challenge on Joao Pedro, Al Gharafa showed character to come from behind and claim all three points.

Just three minutes after the red card, Pedro put Qatar SC ahead with a spectacular overhead kick in the 41st minute, controlling the ball on his chest before firing past the goalkeeper following a free kick into the area.

Al Gharafa rallied in the second half, with captain Yacine Brahimi converting a penalty in the 60th minute after Aron Gunnarsson was brought down inside the box by Presnel Kimpembe.
Seydou Sane then sealed the comeback in the 90th minute with a powerful strike from the edge of the area to send the home fans into celebration.

Earlier, Al Shamal held Al Wakrah to a dramatic 2-2 draw thanks to Mohammed Omar's stunning stoppage-time equaliser. Baghdad Bounedjah had given Al Shamal the lead in first-half injury time (45+1), before Al Wakrah hit back quickly through Amine Zahzouh's 51st-minute penalty and Ayoub Assal's strike two minutes later.

Just as The Blue Wave looked set to take all three points, Omar rescued Al Shamal in the seventh minute of added time (90+7) with a thunderous right-footed shot from outside the box into the top corner, ensuring the spoils were shared. The result lifted Al Shamal to second with 18 points, while Al Wakrah slipped to fourth on 15.

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