Shooting Stars Sports Club of Ibadan on Sunday defeated Dakkada FC 1-0 in the Nigeria Professional Football League Match Day 12.
Ibadan-based 3SC secured the lone goal through the Europe returnee, Sunday Faleye, in the 82nd minute of the game.
Faleye, a former 3SC player, who left the club for Europe, recently returned to the team.
It was a tension-soaked game for the home team until the introduction of Faleye, Malomo Taofeek and Wasiu Alalade, who reinforced the team’s attack.
3SC later regained confidence and took advantage of the visitor’s loss of concentration in the tail end of the game to secure the maximum three points.
With Sunday’s victory, 3SC moved from 10th to sixth place on the NPFL log.
Coach Edith Agoye of 3SC said it was difficult playing a home game behind closed doors, adding that the contributions of supporters won’t be felt.
Agoye said: ‘”The first half was a difficult one and that is why we reinforced the attack in the second half with the introduction of Sunday Faleye, Malomo Taofeek and Wasiu Alalade.
“Their introduction into the game gave us a positive edge at the end of the 90 minutes of play.
“We kept possession, we were not dangerous and the introduction of these players earned us the maximum three points.”
Agoye acknowledged the contributions of Faleye to the game, hoping that he would build on this momentum in the team’s other matches.
He said: “Definitely, it was a great addition.
“The goal he scored today is an example of what he can bring to any team.
“We are very happy that everything we talked about him, before bringing him in, he demonstrated in the few minutes he was on the pitch.
“We can only hope that he would build on this momentum in our next matches.”
Coach Umar Danlami of Dakkada FC, said that 3SC was the better side in the game and deserved the maximum three points.
Danlami blamed his side’s loss on loss of concentration by the players towards the end of the game.
“3SC deserved the three maximum three points as my boys lost concentration towards the end,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the game was played behind closed doors in compliance with the sanction meted out by the League Management Company over a clash between supporters of 3SC and Remo Stars.
3SC would be travelling to Jos, the home of Plateau United, on Wednesday for the NPFL Match Day 13 game.
