Dubai: Khalid Jalal’s comical own goal helped Al Ain grind out a 2-1 win away to Al Nasr in round four of the Arabian Gulf League on Sunday.

Abdel Aziz Barrada cancelled out Caio Lucas’ early opener before the half hour only for Mahmoud Khamis’ clearance to bounce off Jalal’s head and into his own net moments later.

Last year’s league runners-up Al Ain now have three wins from the first three games of the season and are third in the table level on nine points with defending champions Al Ahli. Both have a game in hand over leaders Al Shabab on 12 points and second-placed Al Jazira on 10 points.

Al Ain and Al Ahli’s game in hand stems from their postponed fixture together from round three, which was moved to December 31 on account of Al Ain’s ongoing involvement in the Asian Champions League where they are through to a two-legged final with South Korea’s Jeonbuk Motors next month.

Considering this result follows hot off the back of an exhausting 5-3 aggregate win over Qatar’s El Jaish in last week’s Asian Champions League semi-final, coach Zlatko Dalic will be happy with his side’s resilience however unconvincing it appeared.

Al Nasr meanwhile are ninth in the table on three points with just one win in four having lost the last three matches.

Al Ain went ahead on eight minutes when Caio burst into the box and drilled a low shot in off the post.

Al Nasr could have equalised from the penalty spot on 16 minutes after keeper Mohammad Bu Senda brought down Salem Saleh inside the box, but Bu Senda redeemed himself by saving Khamis’ penalty.

Barrada eventually did equalise for the hosts on 21 minutes with a curling free-kick struck from just outside the area.

But Al Ain were back ahead within two minutes through a comical own goal after Khamis smashed a defensive clearance straight at teammate Jalal’s head only to see the ball cruelly deflect back into their own net.

Al Nasr’s new Iraqi signing Mohannad Abdul Raheem came off the bench to make his debut after the hour and immediately showed promise back-heeling Jonathan Pitroipa’s pass across the goalmouth to Saleh, but the latter wasted the opportunity by inexplicably hoofing the ball over from a yard or two in front of an empty net.

Lucas was sent off towards the end for a second bookable offence following an obstruction, but even with Al Ain down to 10 men Al Nasr couldn’t monopolise.