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FERVENT fans who roared on Bahrain to the end despite seeing their team languishing by three goals were rewarded by a magnificent fightback in last Saturday's World Cup qualifying clash against Japan.
Supporters who walked out in disappointment minutes before the end missed magnificent Bahrain claw back two goals and come desperately close to securing a valuable point.
Instead 10-man Bahrain lost to Japan 2-3 in the opening fixture of the fourth and final round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup to be held in South Africa.
It was a toughly contested affair with the last five minutes producing three goals, including an own goal by Japan with one minute to go. Japan also gifted Bahrain the glorious chance of a come-back by hitting the woodwork twice when it appeared easier to score. But in the end, time ran out for Bahrain and their supporters were left heart-broken.
Japan took an uncompromising 3-0 lead through Shunsuke Nakamura, Yasuhito Endo and Kengo Nakamura before Bahrain came back and scored twice in the 87th and 89th minutes through Salman Isa and an own goal from Japanese defender Marcus Tanaka.
Defender Mohammed Hussain was sent for an early bath in the 66th minute for a second bookable offence.
The top two from the group gain automatic berths for the World Cup, and the third-placed team gets a backdoor opportunity by winning a play-off encounter for the right to meet New Zealand, the Oceania Zone winners, for a possible fifth spot for Asia.
The Bahrainis, under Czech Republic coach Milan Macala, were pleased with the players' second half performance and will need more of the same if the kingdom is going to secure a World Cup berth.
Japan and Australia remain favourites to take the top two places.
