NPFL: Katsina United, Sunshine Stars In Goaless Draw

Sunshine Stars hold Katsina United to goalless draw in NPFL match day 14 meeting at the Muhammadu Dikko Stadium, Sunday.

Having endured an underwhelming run of results in February the result was the least the Owena Whales were hoping for in their first outing March, to spark a change of fortune in the new month.

It was an end-to-end start as both sides dared to grab any advantage with Waheed Adebayo first to have a crack at goal, drawing a save from the keeper with a fierce shot inside the area after 17 minutes of play.

Two minutes later the hosts responded with an off target header from goal mouth, while Sunshine Stars’ were waiting for an offside call that was never made.

That was followed up by succession of failed onslaughts at goal thanks to good defensive pressure and brave goalkeeping from Uche Okafor who saved for the visitors from close range.

Young midfielder, Habib Yakub almost secured a breakthrough for Sunshine Stars with a well-taken free kick that sailed just wide just before the half hour mark.

Then Okafor tipped over from another free kick at the other end to ensure the coach Gbenga Ogunbote tinkered side do not trail at the interval.

The second half saw similar end-to-end pattern as the first.

Tolu Oluwole could have handed the visitors a match defining moment when he left his marker for dead, but slipped while moving through on goal in the 63′.

Though Okafor and his defenders were kept busy in the closing stages, neither side could conjure a match winner as Sunshine Stars returned from the Northeast with a share of the spoils.

*OGUNBOTE POST MATCH QUOTES*

_”One point on the road is not a bad one, we would have loved it to be three but be it as it may, it wasnt a fruitless journey._

_February we never pray to come back again, it was a blink one but thank God we are starting (the new month) with a draw on the road. We pray we will be able to manage the success by consolidating on it at home”_

Sunshine Stars host Nasarawa United in Akure on match day 15.

SUNSHINE XI | Okafor; Akobundu, Akande, Abisoye, Adeniyi (C), (Ogonna 80′), Adeyemi, Yakub, Yusuf (Temitope 65′, Agba 80′), Adebayo (Ajani 65′), Oluwole, Olulayo

SUBS NOT USED | Ayodele; Abe, Oladuntoye, Obanigba, Adejubu

CAUTIONS |Adebayo 61′ Adeyemi 82′

Chris Okunnuwa
Head Media; Sunshine Stars
IG, FB & Twitter: @SunshineFCAkure