A sublime header from teenage striker Adebayo Waheed was just enough for Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries Football Club to secure their third home win of the season against Kano Pillars in one of yesterday’s fixtures of Match-day 5 of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) decided at the Agege Township Stadium.
It was indeed a tough encounter for Fidelis Ilechukwu’s men. The visitors dominated possession in the early stage of the exchange but MFM defenders gave good account of themselves with great level of composure.
MFM FC mounted pressure on the visitors’ defence in the 8th minute with Onuwa Chukwuka, Sikiru Olatunbosun and Stephen Odey troubling the Sai Masu Gida defenders.
The Olukoya Boys had a chance to register the first goal of the game in the 16th minute of the encounter when Adekunle Adegboyega low shot beat Pillars goalkeeper but Chinedu Udoji stopped the forward from scoring his second goal of the season with a timely goalline clearance.
Former Ikorodu United attacker Kabir Balogun tested MFM FC goalkeeper Ospino Egbe in the 36th minute of the game with a ferocious shot but the former Bayelsa United goaltender pulled a lovely save. First half ended goalless for both teams.
Ilechukwu’s men came out like a house on fire in the second half of the game. Onuwa set Odey up with a beautiful pass the latter dribbled past his markers but his last attempt on the ball went inches wide.
Four minutes after Odey’s attempt at goal, MFM FC boss made his first substitution of the game replacing Adekunle with 18-year-old striker Adebayo Waheed.
The teenager made his impact felt five minutes after his introduction scoring his side’s only goal of the game in his first NPFL appearance with a brilliant header after connecting a cross from Stanley Okorom. The game ended with the Lagos-based team claiming another home victory.
The Olukoya Boys who moved from 3rd position to 2nd on the NPFL log with 10 points from a possible 15 will travel to Akure for a date with Sunshine Stars on Sunday in an encounter tagged ‘South-west Derby.’
At the Gateway International Stadium in Sagamu, Remo Stars FC shook off the tensions of a newcomer to spank old war horse, El Kanemi Warriors, 2-0 to harvest maximum points in the NPFL match day five clash.
The hosts left no room for guesses as they drew first blood with an early goal that left the visitors from Maiduguri in shock when Onuoha Chukwujekwu blasted in from close range a rebound from goal rush in two minutes of the whistle.
All efforts by the Ladan Bosso boys to level up in the first half were effectively voided by the determined defence of the hosts to keep their lead into the break.
Thunder however struck a second time as Remo scored again just three minutes into the second half when Oche Salefu curled in a free kick from the edge of the box to double the lead.
Disappointed El Kanemi coach, Ladan Bosso, has been left to wonder how his boys couldn’t manage the critical times of the game.
For Remo Stars coach, Nduka Ugbade, it is all coming together gradually for the team and he believes they will surely stabilise into a force in the elite league.
“Analysis have shown that we are about the only team that has scored in every match, home or away, win or lose. That is good. It means we have some element and we will continue to sharpen our form.”
In Port Harcourt, Rivers United fired blanks against a spirited Lobi Stars side in a largely uninspiring 0-0 draw.
Rivers United slipped from second to fifth with nine points from five matches as a result of the draw while Lobi Stars now occupies tenth spot on the NPFL log with seven points from their opening five fixtures.
RESULTS
Rangers 1-1 Tornadoes
Plateau Utd 2-1 Abia Warriors
Enyimba 2-1 Nasarawa
Wikki 3-1 IfeanyiUbah
Katsina Utd 1-1 Akwa Utd
Gombe Utd 2-0 Sunshine
MFM FC 1-0 Kano Pillars
Remo 2-0 El Kanemi
Rivers Utd 0-0 Lobi
ABS FC 2-0 Shooting
credit: thisdaylive