NPFL: ABS thrash league leader

Abubakar Bukola Saraki FC on Sunday thrashed league leaders, Plateau United FC of Jos, 2-0 in the Nigeria Professional Football League encounter at the Kwara Stadium Complex, Ilorin.
The first goal came via penalty awarded by the referee when Eugene Elijah of Plateau United fouled ABS striker, Wasiu Alalade, inside the 18.
Samuel Oyedeji stepped forward to send goalkeeper John Ga’adi of Plateau United to the wrong side to score his third in four games.
The Saraki Boys dominated most of the proceedings in the first half and were dangerous moving forward.
Alalade and Adeshina Gata combined well in the attack to terrorise the visitors.
ABS should have doubled the lead when Adeoti sent a long pass behind the Plateau United defence, which found Oyedeji, who crossed the ball to no one.
ABS restarted the game just from where they ended the first half, but were comfortable dealing with Daniel Itodo’s long throw-in.
Alalade, after several attempts, scored his third goal in four games and his fifth of the season in the second half to seal victory for the Saraki boys.
Akinbo Oluwasegun had flipped a header behind the Plateau defence and Alalade latched on to it and fired the ball into the net from the edge of the 18 yard box.
ABS was saved by goalkeeper Boje who made daring saves to keep his fourth consecutive clean sheet.
ABS Coach, Henry Makinwa, said after the game that his boys had filed out on a revenge mission.
Makinwa said: “The boys won the game.
“I was going to talk in the prematch, they said don’t talk, we will win the game.
“Till the last game, we are going to be there, fighting for everything; we work everyday to win all the games if it is possible.”
The former Rayo Vallecano of Spain attacker, however, said his opponent deserved to be number one on the table because they are technically sound.
His Plateau counterpart, Kennedy Boboye, said the better side of the day won the game.
“The two sides played a beautiful game but the better side won. My boys gave their best, you have to be in a good shape to play Plateau United,” Boboye said.
The Saraki Boys will now meet Gombe United for match day 36 fixture.