Players of Akwa United received praises from Jolomi Ali, who stepped in as the stand-in Manager after the exit of Kennedy Boboye.
He spoked shortly after leading the club to defeat front runners, Remo Stars in a MatchDay 13 fixture of the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL).
Rising from their unimpressive home draw against Heartland, it was a stunning performance for Akwa United on Wednesday as they edged host, Remo Stars 1-0 at the Remo Stars Stadium Ikenne.
The Promise Keepers delivered a masterclass defensive performance to bag all three points at stake to put their title defence bid back on track.
Ali described the victory as “reward for hard work and diligent planning”
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“I want to praise the players for this victory. The aspiration of this club is to continue winning and the boys did an excellent job of deploying the tactics we used today.
“We knew it was going to be a very difficult match and the moment we went into the break with that lead, I knew that we had to work extra hard in the second half to get something from the match. After the disappointment of the weekend, this a great way to lift the spirit in the team”, an elated Ali remarked in his post-match take on the game.
Remo Stars will be kicking themselves for dropping points in the match but a combination of excellent goalkeeping, the post and some wayward shooting cost them dearly.
Andy Okpe looked the most likely to score and came closest early in the second half, his snap shot from the edge of the box crashing against the upright to the relief of the visitors. The lanky striker was set up by substitute Lekan Adedayo in the six yard box, he somehow ballooned the ball when it seemed easier to score.
Coach Gbenga Ogunbote will be wondering where his team missed the plot. They won more corner kicks early in the game but could not convert any of the set piece.
It was rather the visitors that benefitted from their first corner kick in the 28th minute. Seth Mayi cross was stabbed home by David Onovo as the Sky Blue could not clear their lines.
The midweek clash was played behind closed doors and Coach Gbenga Ogunbote believes the fans could have added something extra if they were let in. “Our fans are a huge part of our team. We surely missed them today. They could have added something extra especially when we went behind in the first half”
Remo Stars next play against Lobi Stars and Gbenga Ogunbote is very positive ahead of the visit to his former base. “Lobi is a very good team but we are confident ahead of the match. We just have to put the result behind us and give the next match our best shot”