Bayelsa Queens FC extended their leadership of the Nigeria Women Football League NWFL with a hard-fought one-nil victory over visiting Pelicans Stars of Calabar on matchday 10 at the Samson Siasia Stadium in Yenagoa.
The visitors came into the match with a detailed plan to frustrate the Gloryland Girls as Bayelsa Queens are fondly called and they were very articulate and disciplined in their defending which unsettled their host.
The first chance of the match came in the 10th minutes when Anjor Mary had only the goalkeeper to beat but blasted wide. The home team grew in confidence with much intensity and pressure which paid off in the 34th minutes when Joy Bokiri laid up across from the right-wing for Anjor Mary to score the curtain-raiser.
The goal galvanized Bayelsa Queens to pile up the pressure more but unfortunately, their wastefulness in front of goal was their greatest undoing with a first-half end one-goal advantage to the home team.
The second stanza started with Pelicans Stars taking the fight to Bayelsa Queens but the masterful display of the pair of Abidemi Ibe and Fehintola Mabokanje were a delight to watch which kept the strikers at bay.
Even with the introduction of top scorer Charity Rueben, the Goalkeeper of Pelicans Stars was at her best to repel everything thrown at her which reduce the tally to a solitary goal till the end of the match.
Coach of Pelicans Stars Sanusi Muritala Olaleke stated in the post-match interview that he was satisfied with the performance of his girls having instructed them to keep to the plan of frustrating their opponent which almost paid off but for that single mistake that led to the goal.
Coach Moses Aduku was equally grateful for the three points despite the wasted opportunity they had to put the game to bed. He also stated that following the loss of their closest rival Rivers Angels in Lagos, they will seek to extend the lead when they travel to Warri next week to play Royal Queens.
