Rivers, Plateau lose as Akwa United, Enyimba go goalswire

News Express |22nd Apr 2022 | 510

Defending champions, Akwa United, thrashed Nasarawa United 6-1 in one of the matches of the NPFL

The top two teams on the 2021/2022 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) table, Rivers United and Plateau United, were yesterday, beaten on the same day for the first time this season as MatchDay 24 reached an enthralling climax.

With 17 goals scored in five matches on Wednesday, 15 more were scored in the other five decided yesterday to account for 32 goals, the highest scored on a single MatchDay this season.

Quite poignantly though, the least scoring games in the MatchDay involved the two top-scoring sides in the league, who were running neck-in-neck in the race to the title. Both teams conceded first-half goals in their away ties and never recovered.

At the Ondo State Sports Complex in Akure, Sunshine Stars made it a sweet return back home from Ijebu-Ode where they had sojourned and made hay while the sun shone, beating Rivers United 1-0 courtesy of Ugochukwu Leonard Aputazie’s fifth-minute strike.

The defeat ended Rivers United’s 12-match unbeaten run and marked only their second loss this season.

To add insult to injury, Pillars who have now dropped to 19th on the log, had their goalkeeper Joshua Enaholo sent off in stoppage time.

The day’s highest-scoring game came at the Nest of Champions, where reigning champions, Akwa United, dismantled Nasarawa United 6-1.

The Promise Keepers led 4-0 at halftime courtesy of goals from Ubong Friday, Adam Yakubu and Wisdom Fernando (who scored twice). Babatunde Bello and Franklin Matib added two more in the second half after King Osanga had pulled one back for the visitors.

Match Day 25 action hold on Sunday and Monday across 10 centres. (The Guardian)