Dubai: Al Shabab want to put their lack-lustre showing behind them and focus on their next task in the Etisalat UAE Football League next Monday.

Al Shabab were held to a 2-2 draw at home by visitors Al Shaab late on Thursday.

And coach Ilie Balaci was left fuming over the performance of his players.

Balaci refused to speak to reporters after the match and it was left up to Al Shabab manager Obaid Ali to fill in.

"We want to pretend that there was never a yesterday," Obaid Ali said.

"We want our players to forget about this match and focus on our next game on Monday," he added.

Al Shaab's Tunisian coach Yousuf Al Zawawi was pleased with the split points.

"It was a fair result for us as we were playing away. But the match could have gone either way, going by the number of chances missed by both teams," Al Zawawi said.

Much was expected of Al Shabab following their opening round 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Al Jazira. That never happened as the visitors took the lead in the fourth minute as Saif Mohammad headed in from a Javad Kazemian corner. The Al Shabab strikers were atrocious in front of the goal, and Ghanian marksman Prince Tagoe did not impress at all.

Al Shabab laboured through the first half without much success in front of the rival goal.

Their pathetic display continued in the second half and they should have been down by another goal on the hour, had Ali Samareh not shot into the side netting.

The home side finally squared the match in the 77th minute from the spot after substitute Essa Obaid was fouled inside the area. Hard-working Iranian playmaker Eman Mobali stepped up and converted for the equaliser.

Five minutes later, the handful of Al Shabab supporters had reason to celebrate as Salim Saad trotted past Bassam Ali on goal to give the home team the lead.

But their joy was short-lived as Saif Mohammad scored the second of the night to put the teams on level terms.

"This is a match we should have won easily. So we are not happy with the one point we got," Obaid Ali admitted.

"We need to improve and we better do it fast, at least before Monday's match," he added.