Insurance hold 3SC to goalless draw        Posted on Monday, Jan.12th 2009

Bendel Insurance ran away with a valuable point last Saturday after holding Shooting Stars to a goalless draw in a National First Division match decided at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Ibadan.

It was a game the Oluyole Warriors could have won on a platter but the players fluffed numerous opportunities to make hay.

The result had contrasting fortunes for both sides.

While Shooting Stars failed to win their sixth successive home match and were only able to reduce the gap between them and log leaders Dolphins by only a single point, the visitors had everything to celebrate as it was their first drawn game away from home.  

The best chance of the evening fell to Timothy Idogbe, but the leading hot shot instantly turned from hero to villain when he squandered a 7th minute penalty, which was awarded after an under-pressure Insurance defender had handled the ball in the box.

The teams dished out some good football which was reminiscent of the rivalry of old. But the home side had the game by the scruff of the neck in most instances, and with a little more accuracy in front of goal, could have wrapped up the proceedings in style.

After the final whistle, a handful of Bendel Insurance fans danced away as Godwin Izilein’s side celebrated a rare achievement.

Back home, 3SC supporters were miffed at what they perceived as an unsatisfactory performance and almost vented their spleen on Chief Coach Franklin Howard. The former Union Bank coach had to be escorted out of the Stadium by security men.

By Mark Ogagan