Abu Dhabi: Al Ain missed plenty of scoring chances before rallying from a one-goal deficit to split points with Naft Tehran for a 1-1 draw in the AFC Asian Champions League Group B fixture at the Azadi Stadium in Tehran on Tuesday.

Substitute Siamak Kooroshi put the hosts in the lead immediately after the change of ends while the equaliser for Al Ain was scored through penalty by their star forward Asamoah Gyan.

The first session clearly belonged to Al Ain as they had a major share of the ball, several scoring opportunities but weren’t clinical in finish. In the 11th minute, a long ball from Mohammad Abdul Rahman found Gyan lurking inside the box. Though the Ghanaian star failed to control the ball on his first attempt, he did well to take a shot on the turn but only to see it being kept out by an alert Naft Tehran custodian Ali Reza Beiranvand.

Minutes later, Beiranvand again came to the rescue of his team as he kept out a full-blooded shot from Ebrahim Diaky from inside the box. In the 30th minute, a measured chip from Gyan found medio Mohammad Abdul Rahman unmarked but the latter, despite having an open goal in front, failed to direct his header to perfection.

Then in the dying minutes of the first half, Beiranvand stretched his right foot out in time to block a grounder from Gyan. The only close chance for the home side was created by their striker Gholam Reza Rezaei, but his left-footed attempt from metres outside the goalline sailed over the crossbar.

Soon after the change of ends, Naft Tehran took the lead through their substitute Kooroshi who just had to pick his spot to slot home his header as Al Ain defence simply remained rooted for a throw-in from Vahid Amiry.

However, it did not take long for Al Ain to draw level after Gyan earned a penalty when his chip found the hand of Naft Tehran defender Mehdi Shiri. Al Ain coach Zlatko Dalic brought in his ace playmaker Omar Abdul Rahman and Slovakian recruit Stoch Miroslav to pile on the pressure but Naft Tehran players kept them well under check.

Amiry almost doubled the lead for the home side with a breathtaking left-footed effort in the 75th minute but Al Ain custodian khalid Eisa rose enough to tip it over the framework. Eisa was tested again the 81st minute by another long ranger by Iman Mobali but the former was alert enough to thwart the danger. The home side then soaked in all the pressure towards the end to deny the visitors a win.