Lobi Stars Football Club of Makurdi drew 2-2 with hosts Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) on Wednesday in Ibadan, Oyo State to bolster their fight against relegation and raise hopes of survival in the 2024/2025 Nigeria Premier Football League.
The Match Day 25 fixture saw the visitors force the second-placed host team to fight from behind to claim a point in the encounter.
The Lekan Salami Stadium crowd had been expecting a win for the hosts, who had lost their last two matches on the road and were up against a relegation-threatened side.
But Lobi Stars proved a difficult customer, only lacking a good offensive rhythm as they broke through the flanks to put the hosts on the back foot several times.
However, 3SC duly took the lead to justify their dominance of play with Akpan Joshua lashing home a rising shot in the 11th minute.
Lobi Stars nevertheless kept their nerve, holding out till the 35th minute when Ossy Martins drew them level after finding himself unmarked to turn in a loose ball.
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Ossy was on hand in the third minute of first half added time to make it a brace for himself when he brilliantly utilised an effort by Segun Oloruntoba.
The diligent Oloruntoba had cut in from the right side to deliver a good pass, which Martins well utilised to give their side a surprise lead.
3SC returned from the break rejuvenated, making two quick changes which brought in Adams Mustapha for Samuel Ayanrinde and William Ukeme for Nonso Nzediegwu.
They soon drew level, through the energetic Sodiq Ibrahim who shot low to the far side of goal after picking up a loose ball.
Thereafter, 3SC’s efforts to regain the lead proved futile in spite of bringing in Ekeson Okorie and Godwin Odibo for Akpan Joshua and Tijani Kabir respectively.
Even with the sending-off of Martins, the hosts could not make use of the one-man advantage.
They did dominate the game and restricted their guests to a few offensive runs, but were not clinical with their finishing and continued wasting precious goal scoring chances.
The most glaring was that of Ikouwem Utim in the ninth minute of second half added time, when he headed over the crossbar in front of a near-empty net.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the draw still kept 3SC in second place on the table with 41 points from 25 matches following slips by their nearest rivals.
Lobi Stars are still at the bottom of the log with 23 points from 25 matches, after five wins, eight draws and 12 losses.
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