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Kogi United recorded a hard fought
1-0 victory over FRSC FC in the Matchday Two of the Nigeria National League,
NNL played on Saturday.
Matthew Idoko converted a 15th
minute spot kick to give his side a needed victory in a pulsating encounter. Kogi United almost take the lead early
in the fifth minute into the game when John Jerome arrived late to tuck in a cross
from John John. Both players later combined well
again two minutes afterwards to initiate another attack, this time it was John
whose effort went wide.
The Road Safety boys were still on
the back foot as United kept pressing as they search for the early opener.
That finally came in the eleventh
minutes when Matthew Idoko did a brilliant footwork to dribble past two players
before releasing a through ball to Iwuji into FRSC's box, but the creative left
back was fouled by Ogbole Sunday. The referee wasted no time to point to the
spot.
Idoko scored the eventual penalty
after goalkeeper Stephen Azubuike guessed wrong to dive the other way.
The Safety Strikers however stepped
up the game after the goal and gave a good fight in the midfield with their
hosts but couldn't get the chance to break the Kogi United defense marshaled by
Tenimu Abubakar and Sunday Roberts till the end of the first stanza.
The business end of the game began
with United showing real potency to increase their tally but FRSC employed a
physical combat tactics to frustrate United from breaking them down.
Michael Bolaji did a one-two pass
around with Chatto to initiate an attack for United in the 48th minute but the
latter's shot goes inches wide.
FRSC's best man in the field,
Anyamkyegh Gary troubled United defense on several occasions but his attackers
weren't there to receive the final as United pick up the pieces in defense.
United almost doubled their lead
with just quarter of an hour to end the game when substitute Adegbayo Ayuba's
tucked in effort from Idoko's cross was saved by Azubuike's face.
And the FRSC almost level up the
score when new import Edeh Phillip had his effort parried wide by goalkeeper
Salisu Ogbe.
All effort by United to increase the
goal tally proved abortive as FRSC defended well till the last minute if the
game.
Acting Head Coach of Kogi United
Abubakar Musa disclosed that it was a tough game but commended his boys for a
near perfect performance.
He said United would improve as the
games goes on.
"It was a tough game, FRSC are
a very physical side and you can see they were too hard on my players but we
were able to get the most important thing from the game, which is victory, the
attack wasn't really sharp today but we will improve on that as the league goes
on," Musa said.
His counterpart from FRSC, Akinade
Onigbinde described the defeat as disappointing, adding that his side could
have done better in the game.
Kogi United with three points from
two games would draw bye for the match as a result of Giwa FC's expulsion while
FRSC will prepare to take on Kwara United in Abuja.
Courtesy: Kogi United FC
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