Heartland FC withstood unrelenting pressure from the home team, Shooting Stars to secure a morale boosting goalless draw at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, Ibadan in a Nigeria Premier Football League Matchday 11 tie played Sunday evening.
It was a brilliant performance from the Naze Millionaires defence led by the goalkeeper, Chisom Chiaha and team’s skipper, Nnaemeka Anyanwu and his troops who resisted all that the Oluyole Warriors threw at them in the game.
The head coach, Kennedy Boboye who oversaw his second game since his recent appointment kept faith with Chiaha in goal, Christian Molokwu, Divine Ukadike, Anyanwu and Peters Afolayan in defence while Elvis Ori, Clement Ogbobe, Ifeanyi Anyanwu, Tunde Oyewole, Austin Osayande and Onyekachi Okafor were the others in the starting line up.
Shooting Stars started pressuring the visitors’ defence from the blast of the referee’s whistle in search of the early goal but they could not pass through the defence line of the Naze Millionaires and on a few occasions they succeeded, Gafar Olafimihan led 3SC attack was wasteful.
The Oluyole Warriors tried as much as they could to get a goal in the first half but Heartland FC defence stood tall as the game was goalless at halftime.
Boboye brought in the trio of Ezekiel Bassey, Kingsley Arum and Chidiebere Ajoku in the early part of the second half and their introduction brought about changes in Heartland FC’s playing pattern. They were able to make occasional forays into their hosts vital area and were able to repress them from going to their goal area.
One of the high points of the game was the introduction of George Jenon who had his debut for the Naze Millionaires in the embers of the game as Heartland held on to secure their third away point of the season.
It was Boboye’s first point too since he assumed the position in the home loss to Enyimba last weekend. The draw in Ibadan kept Boboye’s record of never losing a game against Shooting Stars in Ibadan intact.
Heartland head coach, Kennedy Boboye praised the players for a job well done and he tasked them to remain focused ahead of subsequent games.
He said he actually came for a win but was satisfied with the draw and that they would go back home to fashion out how to dislodge Bendel Insurance in their next game on Wednesday in Owerri.
“It was a good game for us and I want to congratulate the players for a job well done. It was a tough game but the players put up their best performance to resist the home team from scoring as they were unable to score,” Boboye said.
“We came to Ibadan hoping for a win but the draw is better than losing the game. We will go back home and work on improving what we have. We will prepare very well for the game with Bendel Insurance and go for a win by God’s grace.”
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