First Half Blitz Takes Nasarawa Utd Top As Rangers Falter At Katsina

Enugu Rangers missed out on the chance to open up a three point lead at the top of the Nigeria Professional Football League with defeat at Katsina United in the concluding round of matchday 16 fixtures played on Thursday.

Katsina United were without a win in their preceding five matches and had dropped into relegation trouble as a result while Rangers were unbeaten in four and topped the table on goals difference.

It was the home side that showed more enterprise early on with Rasheed Ahmed giving them a 16th-minute lead which they held on to and doubled in the 83rd-minute through Joseph Atule’s spot-kick.

The victory saw Katsina United overtake MFM on the log with the Lagos side dropping into the relegation places in 17th place, one place and one point behind United.

Having started the day with the possibility of opening up a gap at the top, Rangers drop three places to fourth with the defeat, level on 27 points with new leaders Nasarawa United but with an inferior goals difference in a crowded top four.

Elsewhere, Nasarawa United blitzed visitors Dakkada with three first-half goals to record a fourth successive win at the Lafia Stadium and claim top spot in the table.

Ikenna Offor notched a first-half brace with the first coming in the 7th-minute from the spot and the last in the 34th-minute, both strikes sandwiching Silas Nwankwo goal which put the home side 2-0 inside nine minutes.

The loss keeps Dakkada 8th in the table with 23 points.

And Plateau United ended Sunshine Stars’ run of three consecutive draws with a 3-1 defeat of Gbenga Ogunbote’s side in Jos.

Abdu Maikaba’s side were three goals up inside thirty-five minutes as goals from Oche Ochowechi, Ibrahim Mustapha and Uche Onwuansanya put the game beyond the reach of the visitors before the half-time whistle.

Kehinde Adeyemi grabbed a late consolatory effort for Sunshine Stars who are without a win in nine games and while they’re 14th in the table, they are in the thick of the relegation battle with only a point separating them from 17th-place MFM.

Plateau move up to ninth with the win.