The Restoration Boys have secured their second consecutive
home win of the second stanza after they beat the Naze
Millionaires 3-1 on Monday morning in a delayed NPFL
Week 31 tie played at the Oghara Township Stadium.
Rain had forced the game to be postponed on Sunday after
heavy downpour rendered the playing turf waterlogged but
there was no hiding place for the Owerri side after Bayelsa
United defeated them to move to 29 points from 31 matches
and are now only a point adrift of FC Taraba who are in
19 spot with 30 points from 31 ties.
Samal Kadiri opened the floodgate of goals for the Yenaogoa
side in the eighth minute but Heartland restored parity in the
35 minute through Mohammed Mohammed. Bayelsa
United raced into the lead a minute from interval through
Uche Okeke before Owvuke Bernard made the game save
with the third goal for the home team in the 86 minute.
Heartland slipped a step down to 10 on the log with 44
points from 31 matches while Bayelsa United are still last
on the table with 29 points from 31 matches.
FC IFEANYIUBAH 1-1 GIWA
The Anambra Warriors slept when it mattered most as they
allowed stubborn Jos Elephants to stage a comeback at the
dead through David Sunday who ensured that honours were
evened after the hosts led for most part of the match.
The Nnewi side will need more than a miracle to grant the
wish of owner, Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah who desires a
continental ticket at the end of the season as they have 43
points from 31 games and are eight points off third placed
Warri Wolves who have 52 points from the same number of
matches as the Anambra Warriors.
SHARKS 1-0 DOLPHINS
The Blue Angels triumphed in the Port Harcourt Derby after
they skipped past the Pride of Rivers 1-0 at the Sharks
Stadium on Sunday.
Returning Super Eagles’ star, Chima Akas scored the solitary
goal of the game for Sharks as the early as the eighth
minute of the game and there was no way back for Dolphins
into the tie until the final blast of the referee’s whistle.
Sharks crept out of the drop zone by virtue of the victory as
they are now 16 on the log with 36 points from 31
matches while Dolphins’ back and forth affair in the
relegation zone continues. They have slumped back as they
are presently 17 on the log with 34 points from 31
matches.
FC TARABA 1-1 EL KANEMI WARRIORS
The Jalingo Boys are getting closer to life in the lower
league after only two seasons in the top flight after they
allowed the Borno Army to level the tie in the final 10
minutes of the match played at the Jolly Nyame Stadium in
Jalingo in a tie the maximum points would have aided their
cause to stay in the elite division.
El Kanemi Warriors who might have also been thrown into
the relegation zone battle had they lost the match threw all
what they had into the game and were rewarded when they
nicked the equalizer in the 83rd minute.
FC Taraba must approach all their remaining matches with
the believe that they can win but with games away to Wikki
Tourists, 3SC, Kwara United and Warri Wolves and home
games against Heartland, Nasarawa United and Abia
Warriors, this may sound a tall order.
The Jalingo side are 19th on the log with 30 points from 31
matches while El Kanemi have managed to maintain 13th
spot on the log with 40 points from 31 games too.
ENYIMBA 2-0 WIKKI TOURISTS
The People’s Elephants are doing everything right in the
pursuance of their seventh league title which would make
them the first club to achieve that record in the history of
Nigerian football.
After they have played second fiddle to Dolphins and Kano
Pillars in the last four seasons, the Aba giants are poised to
lift the league title after they pinned one of their challengers,
Wikki Tourists 2-0 in Aba on Sunday through a rare double
from the captain of the side, Chinedu Udoji.
Enyimba have opened a five point gap between them and
their nearest rivals, Sunshine .Wikki have gone down to
fourth on the log with 51 points from 31 matches.
LOBI STARS 0-0 3SC
The Pride of Benue couldn’t lift their game at the Aper Aku
Stadium, Makurdi on Sunday after they were held by the
Oluyole Warriors to a goalless.
Lobi were expected to consolidate on their road point
gained in Owerri against Heartland whom they frustrated to
record a valuable point in the game prior to the visit of 3SC
but they were unable to break down the resistance of the
Ibadan side whom reports claimed were outstanding
throughout the duration of the match.
The Makurdi side will plunge themselves into the relegation
dog fight if they fail to grab points away to Nasarawa United
in Lafia this weekend as they are presently 14 on the log
with 37 points from 31 matches. They are only three points
away from the drop zone but 3SC are almost guaranteed a
second straight year in the top flight after their return at the
start of the current season. They are ninth on the log with
45 points from 31 matches.
AKWA UNITED 2-0 NASARAWA UNITED
The Promise Keepers defeated the Solid Miners in the first
game in the premier league to be played under floodlight. It
was played on Friday night and Aniekpeno Udoh and Yusuf
Adio got the goals that handed three crucial points to the
home team. The goals were scored in the 35th and 73rd
minutes of the highly charged encounter.
The home win lifted Akwa United to 15 on the log with 37
points from 31 matches while Nasarawa United are sixth on
the log with 46 points from 31 games.
ENUGU RANGERS 2-1 KWARA UNITED
The Flying Antelopes returned to winning ways after the blip
in Lafia the upper week with a narrow 2-1 win over the
Harmony Warriors at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu
on Sunday.
Kwara United stunned the home fans with the curtain raiser
in the 44th minute through Segun Alebiosu but the
introduction of Bobby Clement in the second half changed
the result in Rangers’ favour after Chisom Egubuchulam
leveled for the Flying Antelopes s in the 55th minute before
Clement got the match winner in the 65th minute.
Rangers are still 12thon the log with 43 points from 31
matches while Kwara United are 18th on the log with 32
points from 31 matches.
SUNSHINE STARS 1-0 ABIA WARRIORS
The Owena Waves have returned to second on the log after
two victories on the bounce from ties with Kwara Unietd and
Abia Warriors. They have 53 points from 31 matches but
they cannot afford to relax with Warri Wolves lurking around
in third place with only a point adrift.
Tunde Adeniji scored the only goal of the match to draw
level with Nasarawa United’s Esosa Igbinoba on 14 goals in
the race for the highest goals scorer of the NPFL. He struck
in the 51 minute to stop the antics of the visitors from
Umuahia.
Abia Warriors are seventh on the log with 46 points from 31
matches but Sunshine must be at their best to retain second
spot beyond this weekend with a tough away tie against
Warri Wolves. A win for the Seasiders in Warri on Sunday
will see them hover over the Akure Gunners in the race for
the second Caf Champions League slot.
KANO PILLARS 1-1 WARRI WOLVES
The Seasiders kept their league title ambition alive after they
scraped through a draw in Kano against league reigning
champions whom have had their hope of a fourth straight
league title dimmed further with only seven games to the
end of the season.
Pillars opened scores in the 44th minute from the penalty
spot through Ubong Ekpai after Gambo Mohammed was
brought down in the 18 yard box and were cruising to
another home win before Ikechukwu Ibenegbu stabbed the
home fans hearts with the equalizer in the 90th minute of
the match.
Warri Wolves’ late strike brought about ugly scenes at the
end of the match with the match officials reported
manhandled by the home fans who were not happy with the
failure of Sai Masu Gida to claim the three points.
Pillars are eighth on the log with 45 points from 31 matches
while Wolves are third with 52 points from 31 games. They
will return to second spot if they beat Sunshine in Warri this
weekend.
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