Sporting Lagos head coach Jeffrey Buter said his side deserved more after being held to a 1-1 draw by Barau FC in their Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) Matchday 6 fixture at Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan, on Saturday.
The result left Barau FC at the top of the standings and extended their unbeaten run, while Sporting Lagos were forced to settle for a point despite creating opportunities to win the match.
Barau FC went ahead just before half-time after Stanley Oganbor was brought down inside the penalty area. Joseph Atule converted the resulting spot-kick to give the visitors the lead.
Sporting Lagos responded after the interval, with Sodiq Ayoade scoring the equaliser. The hosts continued to push for a second goal, but neither team could find a decisive finish during the final 30 minutes.
Buter said the performance merited more than a draw and suggested that better officiating could have affected the outcome.
“Yeah, disappointing, like you said. I think we deserved more than a draw. We should have won this game,” Buter told the club’s media.
“I think another day, the officiating is better, I think we get maximum points from this game. I am happy with the fight and courage.”
The Sporting Lagos manager also highlighted his team’s failure to take its chances, while acknowledging the physical demands of the contest.
“Fatigue is part of the game. I think we created chances, but we didn’t score early enough and the opponent took what they got,” Buter said.
Barau FC’s penalty proved enough to give them an advantage at the break, although Sporting Lagos recovered to level the score and remained in contention for all three points.
Buter praised his players for continuing to compete after falling behind and said the resilience shown could prove valuable in future matches.
“But again, the fight and resilience to get something, you are going to need it in another game,” he added.
Sporting Lagos had aimed to make a fast start, as they did in their match against Inter Lagos, but Buter said the team now had to maintain its determination.
“We wanted to start strong like we did against Inter Lagos. We just have to keep fighting.”
Despite the frustration of dropping two points at home, Sporting Lagos secured a share of the points, while Barau FC retained first place in the NPFL table.