NPFL Round 12 Group B review

    NPFL Round 12 Group B review

    Teams from Group B of the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) continued their matches in round 12 of the championship on March 24th, 2019.

    Both Plateau United and Abia Warriors missed a penalty in this game at the New Stadium in Jos. The home side took the lead in the 15th minute through Mohammed Zulkiful.

    The visitors went down to ten men after Joshua Enaholo was sent off in the 22nd minute. Four minutes later the referee awarded a penalty to the home team, but they missed it. Abia Warriors must have thought they could get at least a point from this game after they were awarded a penalty in the 38th minute. But they too missed.

    Plateau United held on to win 1:0 and move up to 8th in the table while Abia are level on points with them up in 7th place.

    After a goalless draw a week before, both Gombe United and El-Kanemi Warriors hoped to win this one. The result might have been the same had the Warriors not scored a winner just before the final whistle. Isiaka Olawale was the scorer.

    Gombe fail to move from 11th in the table while El-Kanemi Warriors move up to second place, level on points with the leaders Akwa United.

    Go Round and Yobe Stars met in what turned out to be the longest match of the round. The home side was looking for revenge after they lost 2:0 in Yobe. It was a very close game which got its spark in the 87th minute when the referee sent Anayor Ogbonna off leaving Yobe to finish the match a man down.

    Go Round FC (Facebook/Go Round FC)

    Go Round FC (Facebook/Go Round FC)

    Just when everyone thought the game would end without goals, Adeseun Adelani scored for the hosts in the 7th minute of stoppage time. With this important win, Go Round move up to fifth place while Yobe Stars remain rooted to the bottom of the table.

    In Uyo, Akwa United continued their unbeaten run by beating Heartland with a single goal. They were awarded a penalty in the 63rd minute which Cyril Olisema converted easily. He only came into the match to replace Mfon Udoh who earned the penalty but was too injured to take it.

    This loss is now the third one in succession for Heartland, leaving them down in 9th in the standings. Akwa United are currently sharing the number one spot with the El-Kanemi Warriors.

    Kano Pillars played their Match Day 12 encounter with FC Ifeanyi Ubah on Wednesday 27th March at the Sani Abacha Stadium. The lost the away match but were hoping to be better in front of their home crowd.

    And they were off to the horses seven minutes into the match when Nwangwa Nyima opened the scoring. The same player scored again in the 62nd minute to double the lead for the Pillars.

    In the 73rd minute, the hosts were awarded a penalty. The veteran Rabiu Ali stepped up to the spot and put the ball in the net to make the final score 3:0 to Kano Pillars. This win puts them up in 4th place, just two points off the top and a single point behind Ifeanyi Ubah in third place.

    The match between Kada City and Nasarawa United was postponed.