Tony Okpotu was the star on match day 19, as the talented Lobi Stars forward netted a hat-trick to become only the fourth player to achieve the feat this season.
Godwin Obaje completed a comeback win for FC Ifeanyi Ubah against Shooting Stars, netting a second-half brace from the spot. Plateau United are the mid-season champions while Remo Stars despite their best efforts succumbed to defeat against Enyimba to remain in 19th place.
ENYIMBA 1 - 0 REMO STARS
Enyimba defeated Remo Stars by a lone goal in a surprisingly low scoring encounter at the UJ Esuene Stadium, Calabar, an outcome which saw the Peoples Elephant extend their unbeaten home record to 63 games. Sensing the opportunity to end the first stage of the league on a high against less formidable opponents, Musa Mustapha headed his effort against the upright, much to his disappointment. Stephen Chukwude gave Enyimba the lead in the 41st minute, curling in a brilliant free kick.
Enyimba, disappointingly failed to make their home advantage count with further goals in the game, failing to make any notable incursions on Remo Stars defence in the second-half, a situation which saved the blushes of the away side from succumbing to a massacre, though they remain a spot above rock bottom on the table.
PLATEAU UNITED 3 - 0 KATSINA UNITED
Plateau United ended the first stage of the league in top position, zooming to the top of the standing in some style following a comfortable three-nil home win against Katsina United. The Kennedy Boboye coached team had the upper hand heading into this encounter, the prospects of actualising their ambitions of being league champions at the end of the season was only going to be halfway completed with a routine win. The home team went into the half-time interval a goal ahead and doubled their advantage two minutes after the restart, through Kabiru Umar, who jabbed in Daniel Itodo's long throw-in.
Buoyed by the vocal home support, Chima Ndukwu was just whiskers away from adding a third goal on the day for his side, but his effort was well saved by Yinka David. The third goal and icing on the cake came in the 85th minute, Jimmy Ambrose unleashing a powerful long range strike which sailed into the back of the net.
ABIA WARRIORS 2 - 0 WIKKI TOURISTS
Abia Warriors were two goals to the good against a helpless Wikki Tourist team, thanks to Ndifreke Effiong's brace. The strikes which earned the versatile player a place in the history books as the first player to score in every season the Umuahia based club have played in the top-flight. Effiong handed his side the lead in the 19th minute much to the excitement of the chanting crowd. Godwin Zaki unbelievably missed a golden opportunity to double the lead, after some great work by the impressive Effiong. The home team was handed a penalty late on in the game, after Sherif Bashir was upended in the opposition box. Effiong made no mistake expertly converting his effort to ensure Abia Warriors ended in 6th position and on a winning note at the end of the first stage of the league season.
EL-KANEMI WARRIORS 1 - 0 ABS FC
Mathias Samuel stroke a goal late in the first half to ensure El-Kanemi Warriors won a 23rd consecutive league game against ABS FC, the sixth successive away defeat of the Ilorin based club this season. It was always going to be only possible outcome in this encounter, an El-Kanemi win, judging from their home form and enviable league position. Samuel should have applied a better finish to a golden opportunity after Suleiman Dogo in goal for ABS FC gifted the midfielder the opening with some poor goalkeeping.
However, there was no stopping the impressive Samuel who has made it a habit of scoring in El-Kanemi's home games this season. The attacking midfielder struck a shot from way out in the 41st minute to hand his side the lead heading into the half-time interval, his 10th goal of the season. There was limited goal mouth action in the second-half; the only notable effort was a Samuel free kick which was punched to safety by Dogo.
AKWA UNITED 2 - 0 MFM FC
First half goals from Alhassan Ibrahim and Ubong Friday earned Akwa United a win against MFM FC, in a thrilling encounter at the nest of champions. The home side took the lead just past the half-hour mark, when the impressive Ibrahim tapped in Kodjovi Dadzie's left footed cross-his 10th of the season, a goal which unsettled the away team, who knew at that point their leadership position was threatened. Friday doubled the lead for Akwa United in the 31st minute, his fourth goal of the league season.
Friday was apparently in the mood on the day, as he crashed a 30-yard strike against the crossbar. MFM FC looked a shadow of themselves in this game, Ifeanyi Ifeanyi bossed the game in midfield against former teammates, helping his side retain possession which rendered the visiting team largely ineffective.
The midfield trio of Akwa United kept finding spaces behind the MFM FC defence, and on more than two occasions they found Christian Pyagbara in good positions but the talented forward failed to make his efforts count. Stephen Odey had a great opportunity to reduce the deficit late-on, failing to take advantage of a one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper, a miss which denied him of his 15th league goal of the season.
NIGER TORNADOES 1- 0 KANO PILLARS
Niger Tornadoes defeated Kano Pillars in Lokoja in a one-sided encounter dominated by the home team, a result which leaves Pillars without a win in five successive league games and a spot outside the top half of the table. Yusuf Mohammed in goal for the away team was busy on the day; producing notable saves in the opening half from Ebenezer Odeyemi, Wakili Musa. The closet Kano Pillars came close to scoring in the first-half was an Adamu Mohammed header via a good cross from Chris Madaki.
The second-half had barely got underway when Odeyemi struck an absolutely beautiful goal to give Tornadoes the lead. The game was drab afterwards, no goal mouth action, and both teams appearing content to contain each other.
FC IFEANYI UBAH 2 - 1 SHOOTING STARS
Two second half penalties by Godwin Obaje earned FC Ifeanyi Ubah a home win against 10-man Shooting Stars, despite the best efforts of the visiting team who took the lead early on, only to succumb to some last minute poor defending. The visiting team from Ibadan showed no nerves in the opening exchanges, deservedly going ahead in the 21st minute through Sunday Faleye's goal. The goal appeared to bring out the best in the home team, who went out in search of an equaliser. Charles Tembe in goal for Shooting Stars had a busy day afterwards, been called into action on numerous occasions, producing superb saves.
Obaje missed a golden opportunity to draw his side level at the end of the first half, heading off target from four yards out after been set up by Prince Aggreh's cross. Junior Ayobami was given his marching orders, a second yellow card on the day for a foul on Pascal Seka, while attempting to clear in his area. Obaje atoned for his earlier miss, making no mistake from the spot to draw his team level.
The host upped the pressure but found Tambe in no mood to be beaten on the day, denying Obaje and Ifeanyi Onuigbo with a hat-trick of saves. Olabisi Samuel handled the ball while attempting to clear a corner kick, which resulted in a penalty awarded to the home team, the second on the day and ninth of the season. Obaje did the honours, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way for a second time, to ensure his sides unbeaten run extended to seven matches, finishing the first stage in 8th position.
LOBI STARS 3 -1 SUNSHINE STARS
Tony Okpotu was the star on the day, netting a hat-trick against favourite opponents Sunshine Stars, his fifth goal in four games against the Akure based club, in a convincing one-sided win in Makurdi. The home team took a while to breakdown the resilience of the away team, who were determined to go into the half-time break on level terms. Okpotu broke away fans heart, heading into the back of the net two minutes into first-half added time.
The brilliant forward headed in his second goal on the day in the 49th minute to complete his brace early on in the game. Okpotu was on a mission to humiliate the opposition, but was twice denied by the impressive Olorunleke Ojo in goal for Sunshine Stars, who proved to be a huge difference in between the sticks for the away team.
Kadiri Samad headed in from close range to complete a hat-trick of headers in the game, reducing the deficit for Sunshine Stars. Whatever hopes of a turnaround harboured by the away team were extinguished two minutes later as Okpotu completed his hat-trick, the fourth player to achieve the landmark feat this season in the league.