NPFL: Remo Stars Survive Abia Warriors in Five-goal Thriller
Femi Solaja
Visiting Abia Warriors yesterday threw away a two-goal lead midway first half but it was the home team, Remo Stars of Ikenne, that had the last laugh with a 3-2 win in one of the Match-day 21 midweek games of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL).
After a doggy exchange of play from both sides, the visitors found themselves in front when Ezekiel Ayodele scored from a corner kick rebound in the 25h minute.
The ovation that greeted that surprise goal hardly died down when Ijeoma DeSouza doubled the lead a minute later and were unfortunate not to have scored another few minutes later but for the timely clearance from captain Nduka Junior that saved the day for Remo.
However, respite came the way of Remo Stars in the 38th minute when Olamilekan Adedayo scored from outside the goal area to peg the scoreline for the home team.
Jabbar Malik who came off the bench scored the equaliser from a rebound to leave the scoreline at 2-2 before the half time break.
However, on resumption from the break, Tochukwu Michael nodded in the winner in the 53rd minute for Remo Stars to pick all three points.
The team now lead the table with 42 points and a superior goals difference of +13.
In Lagos, Ikorodu City made a mess of visiting Kano Pillars with a 4-1 win. It was Shola Adelani who opened the score in the third minute and that was his third consecutive goal in two matches.
Austin Uzondu doubled the lead in the 20th minute but Pillars pegged the score with a goal in the 37th minute by Abba Adam. Veteran midfielder, Rabiu Ali, scored an own goal off a corner kick in the 54th minute and Ayomide Cole put the match beyond Pillars in the 73rd minute.
RESULTS
NPFL
Bayelsa Utd 4-1 Sunshine
El Kanemi 2-1 Rangers
Akwa Utd 1-1 Lobi Stars
Ikorodu City 4-1 K’Pillars
Remo Stars 3-2 Abia War
Shooting 2-0 Nasarawa
UCL
Aston Villa 4-2 Celtic
Barcelona 2-2 Atalanta
Leverkusen 2-0 S’Prague
B’Munich 3-1 Sl’Bratislava
Brest 0-3 Real Madrid
D’Zagreb 2-1 AC Milan
Dortmund 3-1 Shakhtar
Girona 1-2 Arsenal
Inter 3-0 Monaco
Juventus 0-2 Benfica
Lille 6-1 Feyenoord
Man City 3-1 C’Brugge
PSV 3-2 Liverpool
Salzburg 1-4 Atletico
Sporting 1-1 Bologna
Sturm Graz 1-0 Leipzig
Stuttgart 1-4 PSG
Y’ Boys 0-1 C’Zvezda
TODAY
Europa League
Ajax v Galatasaray
Anderlecht v Hoffenheim
AS Roma v Frankfurt
Bilbao v Plzen
Braga v Lazio
Dy’Kyiv v RFS
FCSB v Man Utd
Ferencvaros v Alkmaar
Lyon v Ludogorets
Maccabi Tel v FC Porto
Midtjylland v Fenerbahce
Nice v Bodo/Glimt
Olympiacos v Qarabag
Rangers v Royale Union
Sociedad v PAOK
Sl’Prague v Malmo
Tottenham v Elfsborg
Twente v Besiktas
