MUHARRAQ took a key step towards booking a berth in the AFC Soccer Cup semi-finals, following a trouncing 5-0 victory over Malaysian treble champions Kedah in the first-leg match last night at the National Stadium in Riffa.

Mahmood Abdulrahman 'Ringo' (2 goals), Leandson Da Silva 'Rico', Khalid Salmeen and Fahad Al Hardan were on target for the Bahrain league champions who will go through their return match on September 23 at the Darul Aman Stadium in Alor Star, Kedah with buoyancy of feat in last four.

The Bahrainis were keen to make compensation of losing the 2006 edition final playoff 4-5 on aggregate to two-time champions Al Faisaly of Jordan.

Muharraq had to participate in the match lacking several important players, including former international goalkeeper Ali Hassan who is suffering from a stomach injury and national team striker Abdulla Al Dekheel who is nursing a calf injury.

Salman Shareeda's side took firm control of yesterday's match from start to finish. Muharraq, however, were unable to hit the back of the net in the first-half, missing countless number of clear scoring chances.

The home side nonstop to press forward and they finally broke the deadlock in the 75th minute when substitute midfielder Salmeen found the back of the net after a major blunder by the Malaysian defence.

Two minutes later, the Bahrainis doubled their lead thanks to Ringo who collected a neat pass from Rico and fired past Kedah goalkeeper Mohd Helmi much to the relief of thousands of Muharraq supporters.

Muharraq secured the product with three goals in the last five minutes. Rico put his name on the score sheet in the 85th minute when he received a cross from Abdulla Omar on the right flank and hit the ball past goalkeeper Helmi.

A minute later, it was 4-0 for the hosts thanks to substitute midfielder Al Hardan who unleashed a blistering shot from inside the penalty area before Ringo got his second goal in the game in injury time with a long-range effort.

On the other hand, Kedah played the match without the foreign trio of Marlon James, Cornelius Huggins and Nelson San Martin following the recent ban on foreign players in the Malaysian Super League.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines striker James and Chilean midfielder San Martin scored four goals each in the group stage.

Kedah, coached by Mohd Azraai Khor Abdullah, effortlessly carried over their superb domestic form to the continental stage and qualified for the quarter-finals as one of the three best runners-up teams.