Abia Warriors Football Club of Umuahia dropped points at home for the first time this season after being held 1-1 by Sporting Lagos in a pulsating week 12 encounter of the on-going Nigeria Premier Football League decided at the Umuahia Township Stadium.
Having been forced to a 2-2 draw in their last Nigeria Premier Football League game by Bayelsa United in Yenagoa, this was a match the Warriors needed to consolidate their position on the log but it was not to be as the Lagos boys defended stoutly and ran away with a point.
The visitors took the lead through Naibie Akpesiri in the 17th minute. The number 13 broke through the Warriors defence line and placed the ball beyond the on-rushing Abia Warriors goalkeeper Nmecha Johnson for the opener.
Stunned by that goal, the Warriors took the game to the visitors and would have equalized but the Sporting Lagos goalkeeper Christian Nwoke stood in their way.
In the second half, it was a slow start by the home side but they upped the tempo to put the visitors under intense pressure. Despite the visitors’ time wasting antics, it was a matter of time before the home team got on level terms.
And so that moment came in the 84th minute: A well delivered corner kick by Adejoh Ojonugwa was brought down by Samson Obi and the ball fell kindly into the path of substitute Paschal Nwabueze who pounced to score the equalizer.
In the 3rd minute of added time, Nwabueze thought he has scored the winner for Abia Warriors when he stabbed home Augustine Njoku’s beauty of a cross only for the linesman to inexplicably raise his flag for offside to the consternation of the home spectators and the Warriors bench.
Up next for Abia Warriors is an oriental derby against Nigeria champions Enyimba International of Aba.