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Ammon News - AMMAN - BAHRAIN'S Riffa Club were sent crashing out of the AFC Cup last night following a 1-3 defeat to Jordanian outfit Al Faisaly in their Round of 16 match in Amman.

Palestinian striker Ashraf Alfawaghra scored twice within a three-minute span late in the game to help the hosts secure the victory. Jordanian defender Khalil Baniateyah had earlier supplied their opening goal just before the interval.

Bahraini veteran Salman Isa netted the visitors' lone consolation two minutes before full time.

Riffa's elimination meant that no Bahrain clubs remain in the competition, while Faisaly move on to the quarter-finals. It will be the Jordanians' first appearance in the last eight in six years.

Both sides started the match strong and Riffa had a couple of good chances to take the lead midway through the opening half but could not finish.

Riffa's Serbian striker Mladen Jovancic narrowly missed the target with a header that went over the crossbar, while Syrian strike-partner Mahmoud Al Mawas had a one-on-one with Faisaly goalkeeper Mohamad Shatnawi but his shot was parlayed well by the opposing stopper.

Faisaly made Riffa pay for their missed opportunities, as Baniateyah slotted home off a free-kick from teammate Abdulelah Al Hanahneh right on the stroke of half-time. That would be enough to give the home team the advantage heading into the locker rooms.

After the re-start, Riffa pressed hard for an equaliser but Faisaly did well to control the match and stave off any dangerous challenges.

Alfawaghra finally dashed any hopes of a Riffa comeback with back-to-back goals during the final 10 minutes.

The talented forward first found the net in the 82nd minute with a short stab off a fine pass from teammate Yusuf Al Naber. He then showed off his brilliant individual skill with a charging shot three minutes later that left Riffa goalkeeper Sayed Shubar Alawi no chance of a save.

Riffa would get one back through Isa in the 88th minute, but the strike was insignificant.

Three other teams advanced to the quarter-finals yesterday, including Simin Padang of Indonesia, Kitchee of Hong Kong and defending champions Kuwait Sports Club.

The Round of 16 continues tonight with another four matches on the cards across the continent.

There have been no Bahraini teams in the past two editions of the AFC Cup. The last time a local club participated was in 2010, when Riffa were again the representatives and when they made it to the semi-finals, where they lost to eventual runners-up Al Qadsia of Kuwait. (Gulf Daily News)