Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) of Ibadan, on Saturday, scored once in each half of the game to defeat visiting Kano Pillars Football Club 2-0.
In the match day 17 game of the 2024/2025 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) played at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Kano Pillars were left with rueing several missed goalscoring chances.
The result moved 3SC up the league ladder into fourth, with 27 points after eight wins, three draws and six losses.
After an opening minute scare, when goalkeeper Charles Tambe blocked a low shot after advancing to face a free Olaniyi Fasanmi, Kano Pillars were much in control of the match.
The visitors pushed 3SC back with right flank runs which kept the hosts on the back foot for almost six minutes.
The 3SC defenceline of match captain Gali Falke, Ikouwem Utin, Ayodeji Bamidele and Desmond Ojietifian however did a yeoman job of keeping out Adam and Auwalu Malam.
Bamidele came to the hosts’ rescue in the 26th minute when Adam broke free midway into the 3SC half to face goalkeeper Mustapha Lawal, but he blocked his low shot for a corner-kick.
Kano Pillars left the home fans stunned by dominating play, especially on the right flank, subjecting the hosts to retreating and surviving on few counter-attacks which were always poorly finished.
But, after 44 minutes and against the run of play, 3SC went wide on the right and Falke’s high lift was headed in at the far side by Akpan Joshua for the opening goal.
The goal did energise the hosts’ second half display, but the visitors were still the ones with the dominance through their flank runs and well-coordinated build-ups.
Shooting Stars went on to seal the win through substitute Mustapha Adams’ free-kick from about 25 metres out, blasted past Tambe’s stretched hands in the 79th minute.
Thereafter, the hosts only needed to just see out the win as Kano Pillars were no longer as stinging as before, losing steam out of poor finishing.
Kano Pillars are eighth on the log with 22 points from 16 matches.
