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.
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.
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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.
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.
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