Dolphins make steady rise

Chidiebere Okolie scored his first goal this season while Emem Eduok got his 6th as Dolphins beat FC Taraba 2-0 to move to 5th on the Nigeria Professional Football League table.

With 20 minutes gone in the game, Chidiebere found space in FC Taraba’s box to shoot behind Chinedu Kakawa in goal for the visitors.

Before the opener, Taraba had been under siege as shots from Omo Johnson in the 9th minute and Ifeanyi Egwim in the 19th were saved by the goalkeeper.

Just before half time, it was Emem Eduok who put Dolphins 2-0 up, his 6th goal of the season.

Five minutes later, Isiaka Olawale tried a shot but it was again saved by Kakawa.

Abdulmalik Mohammed who had come on for Osita Echendu before half time proved to be a handful for Dolphins as time without number he breached the Dolphins defensive wall but failed to score.

Dolphins top scorer this season, Ifeanyi Egwim described FC Taraba as difficult opponents on the day

“It was not an easy game and as you saw, they came out strongly but we stood our grounds and got the win,” Egwim said.

FC Taraba’s coach, Ndubuisi Nduka said his players sat back in the first half and it was not an instruction that came from him

“We conceded two silly goals and then my players decided to start playing. I never told them to sit back in the first half. It certainly was not my instruction,” Nduka said.

Pillars Bring League Leaders Sharks Down To Earth

Defending champions of the glo-Nigeria premier League Kano Pillars brought league leaders Sharks fc down to earth in one of the midweek action as they cruised to an emphatic 4-1 win over the coach Gbenga Ogunbote led side.

The defending champions went into the lead as early as the 5th minute when Shobowale Azeez capitalize on a goal mouth melee to tap home the first goal of the day for the homers.

Seven minutes later Rabiu Ali dribbled past Stephen Erewa neatly but Haruna wasted too much time on the pull out for Ezekiel Michael to intercept the ball to give Sharks a moment of respite.

And while the players upfront were trying to draw level ,the defenders were ball watching as James Promise dribbled past them for Abdul Haruna to double the lead for d homers in the twenty seventh minute.

The first half ended with the defending champions up by two goals and on the resumption of play in the second half, Pillars piled pressure on Sharks left wing back Jayeola Yusuf and it was not surprising that the 3rd goal of the day came through his wing as Adamu Hassan flipped in a cross from James Promise in the 49th minute.

Pillars enjoyed possession after the third goal was scored and just as Sharks went searching for a life line, Adamu Hassan did the unthinkable scoring the 4th goal of the day when he headed home a pull out in the sixty seventh minute.

Christain Pyagbara would however give the league leaders a consolatory goal from the spot following a hard tackle on Thompson Stowe in the seventy third minute.

Technical adviser of Sharks Gbenga Ogunbote described the defeat as shocking but however said the team will now go back and re-strategize for the week nineteen encounter against Akwa united in port harcourt.

Gbenga Ogunbote, coach Sharks Fc

Ogunbote applauded the defending champions for playing like champions and taking their chances.

“The defeat is really shocking we did not bargain for a draw let alone such scandalous defeat here in kano”.

“I must commend Pillars for playing like Champions today,the defeat has shown that we still have a lot to do to achieve our dream of a silverware at the end of the season”.Ogunbote said

Meanwhile his counterpart Okey Emordi of Kano Pillars who was delighted his team won the game with a massive win said luck was on their side.

“But I will say in every facet of life there is an element of luck and I will say luck followed us in this game, we were able to get an early goal that was what helped us”.Emordi said