Enyimba finally got their Nigeria Premier Football League campaign up and running with a convincing 4-2 victory over Shooting Stars on Wednesday, while Sporting Lagos and Ikorodu City settled for a goalless draw in the rescheduled Lagos derby, Nigeriasoccernet.com reports.
The People’s Elephant produced a dominant attacking display at the Enyimba International Stadium in Aba to claim their first three points of the season.
Richard Ezinna opened the scoring for the hosts in the seventh minute before Damian Chibueze doubled the advantage in the 29th minute.
Enyimba continued to cause problems for the Shooting Stars defence, with the visitors struggling to cope with the intensity of the home side’s attacks.
Idris Abubakar added a third in the 36th minute as Enyimba went into the break with a commanding 3-0 lead.
The Aba club continued from where they stopped after the restart, with Ifeanyi Ihemekwele finding the net just four minutes into the second half to make it 4-0.
Shooting Stars eventually found a response late in the encounter, as Mustapha Adams Agba’a pulled one back in the 76th minute.
Johnmark Aule then added another goal in the first minute of stoppage time, but the late comeback attempt was not enough to prevent Enyimba from claiming a comfortable victory.
The result gives Enyimba a much-needed boost as they look to build momentum and improve their position in the league.
At the Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Onikan, Sporting Lagos and Ikorodu City could not produce a winner as their rescheduled Lagos derby ended 0-0.
Both sides adopted a cautious approach in the early stages, with the battle for midfield control limiting clear opportunities in front of goal.
Sporting Lagos attempted to create openings through patient possession and attacks from the flanks, but Ikorodu City remained compact and disciplined defensively.
The visitors also looked to threaten on the counter, although Sporting Lagos managed to deal with the danger and keep the game level.
The second half saw both teams increase their efforts in search of the winning goal, while substitutions were introduced to provide additional attacking impetus.
However, neither side could find the breakthrough as the points were eventually shared.
The draw denied both clubs the opportunity to claim local bragging rights, with Sporting Lagos and Ikorodu City having to settle for a point apiece.
While Enyimba celebrated their first victory of the campaign in emphatic fashion, the Lagos derby produced a contrasting outcome as the two rivals cancelled each other out at Onikan.