Ikorodu City continued their impressive performance in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) with a 0-0 draw at Wikki Tourists on Sunday.
The Giant Elephant were looking for their first win in three league matches after taking just a point from their previous two games – a defeat at Bendel Insurance and a draw at home against Bayelsa United.
Ikorodu City did enough to hold their lines and stayed organized to ensure that their opponents did not breach them.
The draw takes City’s points to 28, one more than second-placed Nasarawa United who play hosts to Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) on Monday.
LATE SHOW IN UMUAHIA
Breathing down the necks of the top-two are Rivers United in third position on 27 points after a 1-1 draw at Abia Warriors.
The Pride of Rivers were just seconds away from claiming their second win on the road after Maclyn Biokpo handed them the lead on 86 minutes.
Finidi George and his men looked like heading to a famous away win at the Umuahia Township Stadium before Suraju Lawal denied them the full points in the final moments of added time.
RANGERS RAMPANT AT THE CATHEDRAL
A first half display from Rangers blew Bayelsa United apart. Four goals in the space of 30 minutes from the Flying Antelopes left Issah Yusuf’s brilliant goal inconsequential.
Chidozie Iwundu netted twice in quick succession on 10 and 17 minutes while Kenechukwu Agu and Chimobi Igwilo scored the third and fourth goals on 33 and 38 minutes respectively.
Rangers have now moved into fourth place from eighth and are three points behind the leaders.
ALI, MBAOMA, IWUNDU SHINE
Rabiu Ali made a statement in Kano Pillars’ 2-1 win over Kun Khalifat FC at the Muhammadu Dikko Stadium in Katsina.
The 45-year-old midfielder scored twice on 19 and 38 minutes in which Ebuka Nwokorie’s goal on 27 minutes gave Kun Khalifat some kind of lifeline.
The 2-1 win only takes Kano Pillars’ points to double figures to 12 from nine.
Victor Mbaoma was in the thick of things for the champions Remo Stars in Abeokuta where they edged past Enyimba 2-1.
Mbaoma opened scoring on three minutes before Edidiong Ezekiel levelled the score for Enyimba on 32 minutes.
On the stroke of halftime, Mbaoma restored Remo Stars’ lead which turned out to be the winner.
Iwundu like Ali and Mbaoma shone in this matchweek as they all scored two goals apiece.
BAD BOYS OF THE DAY
Just as Ali, Iwundu and Mbaoma were hogging the headlines for the right reasons, Plateau United’s Vincent Temitope and Ekene Olisema of Warri Wolves were painting the day red in Jos.
Plateau United scraped through with a 1-0 win after Nenrot Silas’ cross was turned in for an own goal by Gift David.
The match ended on a sour note when Temitope and Olisema got into an altercation and the referee, Bashir Adamu, wasted no time in sending both players off in the 86th minute.
In Ilorin, Bright Babatunde put Kwara United in front after 15 minutes against Niger Tornadoes before Seun Ogunribide’s long throw-in was turned into his own net by Abba Khalid for the second goal eight minutes before the break. Kwara United ran out 2-0 winners.
In the day’s early kickoff, El-Kanemi Warriors playing at home against Barau FC shared the points in a 0-0 draw.
The matchweek will be rounded off on Monday when Nasarawa United face 3SC and Katsina United play hosts to Bendel Insurance in Ilorin.