“We couldn’t deal with the last ball” — Finidi reacts to Rivers United’s late defeat in Ibadan

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Rivers United FC suffered a dramatic late setback in the Nigeria Premier Football League title race after a stoppage-time goal from Qamar Adegoke handed Shooting Stars SC a thrilling 2–1 victory in their rescheduled Matchday 24 clash at the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan.

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In what turned out to be a breathless end-to-end contest, both sides traded attacking moments throughout the evening, but it was the hosts who ultimately snatched maximum points with the very last action of the match.

Shooting Stars strike first

Shooting Stars started brightly and took the lead in the 33rd minute when forward Sodiq Ibrahim produced a composed finish to put the Ibadan side ahead before halftime.

The goal rewarded the home side’s attacking intent and gave them a slender advantage heading into the break.

Rivers United respond after the interval

However, Rivers United emerged from the dressing room with renewed urgency.

The Port Harcourt club quickly found their equaliser when Wasiu Falolu finished off a move created by Ochobi Elias, bringing the visitors back into the contest and setting up a tense final phase of the match.

With the score level, the game opened up as both teams pushed forward in search of a decisive goal.

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Goalkeepers keep both sides alive

Chances came at both ends, but goalkeepers Osagie Onisodumeya and Godgift Elkamah produced a series of crucial saves to keep the scoreline level.

Their performances between the posts ensured the match remained delicately balanced deep into stoppage time.

But just when it appeared the contest would end in a draw, Shooting Stars found a dramatic winner.

Adegoke’s late heroics

In the final moments of the game, Adegoke reacted quickest to a loose ball inside the area to fire home and seal a dramatic victory for the Ibadan club.

The goal not only secured all three points for Shooting Stars but also extended the striker’s fine run of form. Adegoke has now scored three goals in his last four appearances, taking his tally for the campaign to seven goals.

Finidi reflects on late setback

Speaking after the match, Rivers United head coach Finidi George admitted the decisive moment simply reflected the unpredictable nature of football.

“This is football, I’m not thinking anything,” Finidi said while reflecting on the final moments.

“They had their free kick, and luckily for them, we couldn’t deal with it. That’s football.

“If that ball didn’t drop, we would have dealt with the ball while in the air, and that chance wouldn’t have fallen for them.

“But it’s football, we have to accept it and then move on.”

Missed opportunity for an extra point

The defeat came during a demanding stretch of four consecutive away fixtures for Rivers United, and the coach admitted a draw would have been valuable.

“Yeah, it would have added an extra point to the lead,” he said.

“But it’s an outstanding match. We still have another outstanding match. Now we just have to think about resting the players properly so that we can play the match against Ikorodu City FC.”

Concentration the key lesson

Despite the defeat, Finidi insisted there was little fundamentally wrong with his team’s performance.

“We all watched the game, nothing went wrong,” he explained.

“Sometimes in the last part of the game, you just have to concentrate a little bit more and see how you can deal with those long balls.

“We couldn’t. That last ball, we couldn’t deal with it, and we got punished.

“We learned from that.”

Title race still wide open

With the season entering its decisive phase, the former Super Eagles winger refused to make bold promises about winning the title.

“I don’t have to assure anybody. I can’t assure anybody anything,” he said.

“We all started the league together with other teams. So, if we are two points ahead at this point in time, yeah, it’s based on merit.

“We’ll continue to work with the players. By the time we have eight matches left, we’ll see where we are.”

Focus shifts to the next battle

Finidi also expressed confidence that his players will quickly recover from the disappointment.

“They are used to it. We have played in the Champions League. We lose, come back, play league. They keep doing well.

“So, we just have to encourage them, let them rest properly before the Ikorodu match. So, we are quite optimistic.”

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Despite the setback, the defeat represents only Rivers United’s fourth loss of the season, underlining their overall consistency in the campaign so far.

What’s next

Rivers United will look to respond immediately when they return to action on Monday, travelling to Lagos to face Ikorodu City FC at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan.

With the title race tightening, the Port Harcourt side will be eager to turn the page quickly and regain momentum in their quest for the NPFL crown.