Ahli produced a ruthless attacking display in the first half to lead through a brace from Egypt striker Meteb.

They eased off the gas after the break, giving Gaish the chance to narrow the gap via a powerful shot from substitute Talaat Moharam.

Ahli keeper Ekrami, who made his second consecutive start after joining his boyhood club from Gouna in January, spilled a weak header from Mikael Dogbe just before the end.

The Togolese striker earned Gaish a valuable draw on the follow-up to deny Ahli what looked like a certain win.

Ahli playmaker Mohamed Abou-Treika, who has not played since the team's 2-1 win over Mansoura in October last year, was introduced in the last ten minutes to make his long-awaited comeback from injury.

He was unable to help Ahli avoid a surprising draw though.

The league leaders' second draw in a row blows the title race wide open. The Red Devils boast a five-point advantage over second-placed Petrojet, who have a game in hand.

Gaish moved into fourth place, ahead of Zamalek on goal difference but the latter played a game less.

No Difficulty

With three attacking midfielders playing behind lone striker Emad Meteb, Ahli found no difficulty breaking down Gaish's defense in the first half.

Gaish had a decent effort early in the game when a powerful low free-kick from Mohsen Hendawi was blocked by Ekrami.

Ahli then took total control, with their silky passing game tearing Gaish's backline apart.

They deservedly went ahead after 16 minutes when veteran midfielder Ahmed Hassan found the unmarked Meteb at the far post with a precise pass.

Meteb, who ghosted behind Gaish's defense, curled a delightful shot into the far corner to score his second goal after returning from international duty in Angola, where he helped Egypt win the Nations Cup last month.

A swift counter attack helped him double Ahli's advantage eight minutes before halftime.

Meteb broke clear of defense and back-heeled the ball to the onrushing Hassan, who rounded keeper Mohamed Al-Shenawi but saw his low shot blocked by a Gaish defender.

Al-Shenawi was still lying on the ground when the ball slipped to Meteb, who made no mistake for his fourth league goal this season.

Stunning Comeback

Ahli's eye-catching brand of football continued in the second half but without the effectiveness of the first.

Their fans chanted for every neat pass near the halfway line but Gaish players were still hoping they could stage a stunning comeback and overturn the deficit.

Moharam, who came on instead of midfielder Yassin Abdul-Aal as Gaish coach Farouk Gaafar sought to increase his attacking options, gave the visitors a lifeline in the 64th minute in superb fashion.

He cut inside Ahli's left-back Sayed Moawad to unleash a powerful left-footed drive that left Ekrami with no chance.

While Ekrami could hardly be blamed for Gaish's first goal, he would probably come under fire for failing to prevent them from securing a share of spoils one minute from time.

Dogbe out-jumped defender Wael Gomaa after a pinpoint cross from lively right-back Hendawi but his header looked tame, only for Ekrami to fumble it and allow the Togolese to strike home.