BEIRUT: Two-time reigning Lebanese football league champions Ahed fell 10 points behind league leaders Nejmeh Sunday after a 0-0 match with Sporting Tripoli in Tripoli. The game was nearly as drab as the weather on the north coast that saw two teams spend 90 minutes trudging through a horribly ill-suited pitch decimated by poor weather and the live-in military presence.

Described by Ahed winger Ahmad Zreik as “a farm,” the pitch ensured that neither side was able to get into any kind of rhythm.

Incident was to be found late in the game however when Haitham Chayto won a penalty for Ahed after 76 minutes, although Mahmoud al-Ali, normally deadly from anywhere in the area, scuffed the penalty just wide of the post with the mud causing the ball to roll past the post at a farcically slow pace.

Nejmeh extended their lead at the top of the table to seven points thanks to yet another last-second winner in their 1-0 victory over Racing Beirut Saturday.

The league leaders won 3-2 against Ahed last Wednesday in the Lebanese Cup thanks to Hasan Mohammad’s ludicrous halfway line chip. On Saturday, it came from the unlikely figure of player-manager Moussa Hjej who came off the bench to head in a Mohammad cross in the final minute to extend Nejmeh’s winning streak to 11 games.

With Safa’s game against Tadamoun Sour being postponed, Safa were unable to cut the seven-point deficit down.

Elsewhere, Ansar continue to put pressure on the leaders after a 3-1 win over Ahli Sidon in Sidon, extending their unbeaten run to nine games.

Placeide Tisachampo gave Ahli Sidon a surprise lead after 15 minutes before Mohammad Kojok had a goal ruled out for offside for Ansar 5 minutes later.

Kojok would get his goal however, scoring 3 minutes into the second half. After 70 minutes, Ali Ayoub picked up a second yellow card for a foul on Qassim Abou Kashefeh, conceding a penalty that was converted by Mohammad Hammoud.

Ibrahim Saleh made sure of the three points 8 minutes from time.

Mabarrah’s miserable run of form continued as they slumped to their ninth straight loss, going down 4-0 to Shabab Sahel.

Olisse Diallo and Mohammad Abdullah both scored twice either side of halftime to keep Shabab Sahel sitting pretty in sixth place.

Akhaa Aley were spared a disappointing loss to Salam Sour thanks to a last-gasp equalizer from Kassem Hammoud to force a 2-2 draw in Tyre.

Mostafa Hallak gave Akhaa Aley the lead after 5 minutes before Mohammad Abou Atik and Mohammad Nasser gave Salam Sour a 2-1 lead.

Hammoud 92nd-minute equalizer leaves Salam Sour still within touching distance of the relegation zone.