Go Round out of relegation after win over Lobi
Go Round FC of Port Harcourt moved out of the relegation zone yesterday after a 1-0 win over leaders Lobi Stars of Makurdi at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium. Shedrack Oghali scored the only goal of the encounter in the 69th minute to condemn the pride of Benue State to their second loss in five days. Lobi were beaten 1-0 by Enyimba last Wednesday in a rescheduled match.
Meanwhile, the win has catapulted Go Round to the 16th position on the log with 29 points from 24 matches, while Lobi remain at the top of the table with 43 points from 24 games.
The only away win of the week was recorded in Damaturu where visiting Akwa United tamed hosts Yobe Desert Stars 1-0. Michael Okoro Ibe scored the lone goal in the 76th minute of the match that also had United’s Ayobami Asekunowo sent off in the 45th minute of play.
In Jos, Plateau United were rescued from home defeat at home following a controversial penalty kick awarded the home side against Abia Warriors in the MatchDay 23 of the Nigeria Professional Football League which ended in a 2-2 draw.
The away side showed grit and purpose to defeat the league champions at the new Jos Stadium at the early stages of the match with the first yellow card going to Ozor Chinedu of Abia Warriors for a foul on Rueben Bala with Plateau’s Saidu Salisu going into the books few minutes later.
The game afterwards was balanced and the first half ended goalless. However, the tide of the game changed at the restart of the second half when Saidu Salisu gave Plateau the lead with a left-footed strike from a free kick in the 49th minute.
With the urgency to make a meaningful impact in the game, Sunday Adetunji rose up to the challenge as he equalised for the away side after connecting beautifully from Jimoh Oni’s free kick in the 68th minute.
Things moved from bad to worse for the home side when Obi Samson scored the second goal for Abia after a mix up in the defence of 2017 champions.
In the 83rd minute, Plateau had a glorious chance to make it to 2-2 following a foul on Tosin Omoyele in the box. The referee of the day, Sani Mohammed pointed to the spot but Reuben Bala failed to score.
However, the high point of the game came in the 90th minute when the referee controversially awarded another spot kick to the hosts ruling that Abia goal keeper, Uche Okafor held Salisu to the anger of the away side’s technical bench.
This time around, Salisu expertly dispatched the kick to bring the score line to 2-2.
With this victory, Plateau United moved up to occupy the 4th position with 37 points while Abia Warriors remain on 8th with 34 points.
Also yesterday Rangers defeated Heartland 1-0, Enyimba were 2-0 better than Katsina United, Pillars forced visiting Rivers United to a 1-0 draw in Kano, while Kwara United edged FC IfeanyiUbah 1-0 in Ilorin.
Nigeria Tornadoes dismissed Wikki Tourists 1-0 while Sunshine Stars humbled Nasarawa United 2-0 in Akure. The tie between hosts MFM and El-Kanemi Warriors was postponed.