Enyimba, Rivers Utd Lead the Pack at NPL Super 6
*Draw specialists Bendel Insurance held by Sunshine Stars
Duro Ikhazuagbe
Enyimba and Rivers United have tied at the top of the log on four points each after Match-day 2 of the ongoing NPL Championship Super 6 in Lagos.
Enyimba defeated Lobi Stars 1-0 in the first game of Match-day 2 of the season-deciding playoffs to temporarily move up.
Rivers United who played a 2-2 draw with Remo Stars in one of the two other games also joined Enyimba on four points.
Bendel Insurance and Remo Stars on two points each are separated by goals difference while Lobi and Sunshine Stars have a point each respectively.
The Pride of Rivers people were the only team that won their game with Sunshine Stars in the Match -day 1 clashes last Saturday.
Draw specialist, Bendel Insurance were also forced to a 1-1 draw by Sunshine Stars yesterday at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena on the Onikan Waterfront in Lagos.
Enyimba’s Emeka Obioma scored the only goal of the encounter with Lobi Stars in the 16th minute through a header from a cross that had Lobi’s goalkeeper, Atsaka Daniel, stranded.
The win was a big boost to Coach Finidi George and their fans from Aba.
He made four tactical changes to his squad that were held to a 2-2 draw by Remo last Saturday.
Surprisingly, Lobi Coach, Baba Ganaru, made just one substitution to their last match-day starting squad against Bendel Insurance.
Interestingly, Lobi Stars, who dominated the first quarter of the game, kept Enyimba away from harms way until Obioma’s breakthrough in the 16th minute.
Elsewhere in the playoffs yesterday, Rivers United fought back gamely to draw 2-2 with Remo Stars in a very dramatic encounter. The match is the best so far seen in this playoffs.
Two late goals in dramatic fashion were recorded and that will likely be a talking point till the curtain is lowered on the Super 6.
Defending champions, Rivers United had shot ahead after 16 minutes. They held on tenaciously to the slim lead until Olamilekan levelled up at 1-1 in the 71st minute.
The match dragged into six additional minutes after regulation time. Then the drama began to unfold.
Three minutes into added time, Remo Stars shot into the lead through Olalekan Dayo fired a long range shot that caught Rivers United goalkeeper, Sochima Victor napping.
But the 2-1 lead was shot-lived as Rivers United, fought back almost immediately, with substitute Lukman Adefemi scoring the equaliser almost on the dot of the added time.
How They Stand (After Match-day 2)
Team. P. W. D. L. GF. GA. GD. PT
Enyimba. 2. 1. 1. 0. 3. 2. +1. 4
Rivers Utd. 2. 1. 1. 0. 3. 2. +1. 4
Remo Stars. 2. 0. 2. 0. 4. 4. 0. 2
B’Insurance. 2. 0. 2. 0. 1. 1. 0. 2
Sunshine 2. 0. 1. 1. 1. 2. -1. 1
Lobi Stars. 2. 0. 1. 1. 0. 1. -1. 1
