Enyimba claim first win as Lagos rivals draw - Punch Newspapers
Enyimba recorded their first victory of the Nigeria Premier Football League season in emphatic fashion, thrashing Shooting Stars 4-2, while Sporting Lagos and Ikorodu City played out a goalless draw in their rescheduled Lagos derby on Wednesday. The People’s Elephant produced an impressive attacking display at the Enyimba International Stadium, Aba, to claim all three points, while the two Lagos rivals settled for a share of the spoils at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan. At Aba, Enyimba made their intentions clear from the opening minutes, taking the lead through Richard Ezinna in the seventh minute. The hosts continued to press forward, and their persistence paid off in the 29th minute when Damian Chibueze doubled their advantage. Shooting Stars struggled to contain Enyimba’s attacking threat; the hosts made the most of their opportunities as they sought to put the contest beyond the visitors. The pressure continued to mount, and Idris Abubakar added a third goal in the 36th minute to leave Enyimba firmly in control before the break.See more Punch stories on Google.Add Punch on Google The Aba side wasted little time extending their advantage after the restart, as Ifeanyi Ihemekwele struck four minutes into the second half to make it 4-0. However, Shooting Stars mounted a late response, with Mustapha Adams Agba’a reducing the deficit in the 76th minute before Johnmark Aule scored in the 91st minute to make it 4-2. The visitors’ late rally proved insufficient to deny Enyimba victory, as the hosts held on to secure their first win of the campaign. The result will provide a significant boost for Enyimba, who will now look to build on the victory and establish consistency as the season progresses. NNL bars indebted clubs, demands N20m guarantee Enyimba end losing streak with goalless draw against Pillars Super Eagles invitee Adeoye shines in Ikorodu City win Meanwhile, Sporting Lagos and Ikorodu City were unable to produce a goal in their rescheduled derby at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena. The encounter, which had earlier been postponed, ended 0-0, with neither side able to find the breakthrough in the battle for local bragging rights. Both teams approached the fixture cautiously; the contest for midfield control limited attacking opportunities in the opening exchanges. Sporting Lagos sought to dictate play through patient build-up and attacks down the flanks, but Ikorodu City’s defence remained organised, frustrating the hosts’ attempts to break through. Ikorodu City also looked to threaten on the counter-attack, but Sporting Lagos held firm at the back to keep their opponents at bay. The second half saw both sides search for a winning goal, with changes from the benches aimed at injecting fresh energy into the contest. However, neither team could make the decisive breakthrough. The stalemate meant both clubs had to settle for a point, denying either side the opportunity to claim bragging rights in the Lagos derby. While Enyimba celebrated their first victory of the season with an entertaining four-goal display, Sporting Lagos and Ikorodu City were left to reflect on a hard-fought encounter that yielded no goals. Both fixtures provided contrasting outcomes, with Enyimba taking all three points in Aba and the Lagos rivals sharing the spoils in Onikan. Kindly share this story:
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