Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) did not hold down the brakes on Sunday when they defeated Warri Wolves 4-2 in a Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) fixture at the MKO Abiola Sports Arena in Abeokuta.
The match did not start exactly the way Nurudeen Aweroro wanted it when they conceded in the seventh minute to Peter Ita’s strike.
Wolves’ lead would only last for four minutes before Sodiq Ibrahim levelled the score.
Lucky Emmanuel put 3SC ahead on 29 minutes off an absolute brilliant team goal before Desmond Ojietefian made sure the home side took a two-goal lead into the break with a headed finish off Ayobami Junior’s corner kick on 38 minutes.
Twenty-four minutes into the restart, Stephen Amos scored the fourth goal for 3SC with a worldie of a strike to make the scoreline 4-1.
Four minutes to time, Othuke Egbo made the scoreline a little respectable for Wolves by curling in a free kick to trim 3SC’s lead to two.
League leaders, Ikorodu City, kept their place at the top of the standings with an organized performance at Enyimba.
The Oga Boys defeated Enyimba 1-0 through Joseph Arumala’s goal on 29 minutes and held on till the end to claim a first win over the People’s Elephant in the NPFL. The defeat now leaves Enyimba just two points overlooking the drop zone.
ARUMALA IN GOOD FORM
The man whose goal inflicted a painful defeat on Enyimba has now scored four goals in his last four league appearances for Ikorodu City which puts him up as the player with red-hot form at the moment.
Arumala’s goals have earned City nine points in wins over 3SC, Niger Tornadoes and now Enyimba.
RANGERS NOW IN THE TITLE RACE
Hot on the tails of Arumala and his teammates on the standings are Rangers International. They defeated Wikki Tourists 2-0 with first half goals from Wisdom Ebirim and Godwin Obaje.
Rangers have now won four of their last six league games which has put them in second place with 43 points, one behind Ikorodu City.
HAT-TRICK OF ASSISTS
Worthy of mention in the past matchweek is 3SC midfielder Ayobami Junior. He caused Warri Wolves all sorts of trouble with his movements on and off the ball and through his pin-point passing.
He contributed three assists to the four goals scored in his club’s 4-2 win over Wolves.
THE CHAMPIONS IN TROUBLE
The story is different for last season’s winners, Remo Stars who are now in danger of being relegated. The Sky Blue Stars sit in 19th place and have stretched their winless run to six (D2 L4) after a 1-1 draw with Abia Warriors at their adopted Akure Stadium home.
The champions needed a late Samson Olasupo goal to cancel out Chukwuemeka Obioma’s 54th minute strike to earn a point.
KANO PILLARS CONTINUE ESCAPE CLIMB
For former champions, Kano Pillars, it appears they are gradually finding their way out of the bottom-four after closing the gap on the team above them to just goals difference after a 1-1 draw at Kwara United.
Luis Dadong rescued a point for Kano Pillars with a 79th minute goal after Johnmark Aule had given Kwara United the lead on 10 minutes. Kano Pillars are in 17th place but level on 29 points with Wikki Tourists in 16th position.
Sunday’s early kickoffs produced one-goal wins for El-Kanemi Warriors and Katsina United over Plateau United and Nasarawa United respectively.
Usman Bulama scored an 82nd minute goal for El-Kanemi Warriors while Boubacar Massaly netted for Katsina United on 81 minutes.
The match between Bayelsa United and Bendel Insurance was the only one that produced no goals.
Earlier on Saturday, Barau FC edged past Kun Khalifat FC 1-0 through Joseph Atule’s winner.