Rivers United’s head coach Stanley Eguma was left with a sour taste after his side were held 1-1 by ten-man Abia Warriors in a MatchDay 13 encounter decided in Okigwe on Thursday.
After a terse opening half an hour, the game took an unexpected turn when Warriors attacker Valentine Odoh was sent off in the 35th minute following an off-the-ball altercation with Rivers United captain Temple Emekayi.
Warriors however took a shock lead in first half stoppage time when Paul Samson reacted fast to a corner kick before poking home beyond Vincent Edafe.
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Rivers United however became more purposeful in the second half and levelled matters within four minutes of the restart when Uche Onwuasonaya volleyed Joseph Onoja’s left wing cross home.
Rivers United who were dislodged from the top of table by Plateau United on Wednesday could not reclaim their spot as they frittered numerous scoring chances, especially in the closing moments of the encounter.
Eguma, in a chat to www.npfl.ng after the game bemoaned his side’s poor marksmanship and ended with the popular cliché; “That is football”.
“Well, I think it’s not a bad result because we were able to salvage a point but I think that we should have won this game because we dominated from the beginning to the end,” said the 2011 league winning coach.
“Even when they (Warriors) scored their goal against the run of play, our players came back in the second half and responded quickly and the pressure was on them.
“We dominated the game and played better. We attacked more and we should have been able to get the winning goal especially the last minute glaring chance that Fortune Omoniwari lost. But that’s football,” he added.
Rivers United’s next game is against Rangers International who climbed to third position after a narrow win over Nasarawa United in Nnewi on Thursday. The game will hold at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium on Sunday.
Match Stats
Abia Warriors XI
22. Vincent Edafe 37. Augustine C. Njoku 23. Kabiru Muhammad 24. Yeo Chacool 13. Innocent Gabriel 2. Chigozie Umeh 7. Paul Samson (Abdul Lawal 62′) 26. Mustapha Jibreel 21. Godwin Obaje (Shedrack Oghali 62′) 9. Valentine Odoh 11. Kalu Nweke (Emmanuel Ugwuka 65′)
Substitutes
1. Pius Ibrahim 8. Imeh Atobasi 12. Yakub Hammed 14. Emmanuel Ugwuka 15. Shedrack Oghali 20. Markson Ojobo 25. Udochukwu Anumudu 39. Abdul Lawal 40. Henry Udezuka
DISMISSED: Valentine Odoh 35′
GOAL: Paul Samson 45+2′
Rivers United XI
1. Afelokhai Theophilus 6. Kazie Enyinnaya 27. Chidiebube Duru 11. Morice Chukwu 5. Ndasi Kadiang Denis 33. Temple Emekayi 12. Ishaq Rafiu (Chiamaka Madu 62′) 31. Akuneto Chijioke (Paul Acquah 79′) 28. Nyima Nwagua 20. Joseph Onoja (Nelson Esor 89′) 32. Uche Onwuasonaya (Fortune Omoniwari 79′)
Substitutes
1. Sochima Victor 3. Konan Ruffin Ngouan 7. Fortune Omoniwari 8. Esor Nelson Okwa 18. Chiamaka Madu 19. Festus Austin 23. Paul Acquah 24. Desmond Agbekpornu 30. Ali Malam Auwalu
BOOKED: Chiamaka Madu
GOAL: Uche Onwuasonaya 49′
