NPFL Round-Up: Shooting Stars, Gombe United record first victories

Two newly-promoted teams in the Nigeria Professional Football League-Gombe United and Shooting Stars finally recorded their first victories of the season in the elite division.

While Gombe United hammered Lobi Stars 3-0 in Monday’s delayed matchday 4 fixture, Shooting Stars laboured to a lone goal victory over Katsina United at the Adamasingba stadium.

Lobi Stars held their hosts in the first half, but they crumbled in the second half of the game played at the Pantami Stadium. The Scorpions broke the deadlock in the 51st minute when Abdulazeez Yusuf responded in a timely fashion to a rebound from Ibrahim Jimoh’s corner.

Endurance Ebedebiri’s own goal doubled Gombe United’s lead in the 57th minutes before AbdulAzeez’s second goal in the 71st minutes sealed the first victory of the season for the hosts.

At the Lekan Salami Stadium, Shooting Stars put on black armbands to mourn the demise of the Olubadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji, in their match against Katsina United.

The late Olubadan was accorded a minute silence before action was underway.

The first half of the game at the filled Stadium was heartbreaking with 3SC missing several clear chances to break the deadlock.

A tactical substitution of duo Ebenezer Odeyemi and Alalade Wasiu opened the defence of Katsina in the 62nd minute. Alalade who recorded his debut goal in the league barely 60 seconds into the game became the super substitute for the Oluyole Warriors.

READ ALSO: Shooting Stars unveils new club website

Elsewhere, Abia Warriors were denied victory as they conceded a late equaliser against Kwara United. Adebambo Ademola’s 87th-minute goal cancelled Abia Warriors’ early goal scored by Godwin Obaje.

The first-minute goal by Obaje is the fastest in the league so far this season. Unfortunately, the equaliser conceded in the dying minutes of the game turned the effort of the Easterners into futility.