Abia Warriors Football Club of Umuahia made an emphatic home start to the new year with an impressive 3-0 victory over Doma United FC in the Match Day 18 of the 2023/2024 Nigeria Premier Football League encounter played at Umuahia Township Stadium.
The Technical Adviser of Abia Warriors Coach Erasmus Onuh made five changes to the side that lost to Akwa United in the Match Day 17 encounter played at Eket Township Stadium with Nmecha Johnson, Ifeanyi Anaemena, Meme Okike, Ojonugwa Adejoh, and Sunday Megwo getting the gaffer’s nod.
Before the game Captain Augustine Njoku had assured the fans of a resounding victory, and from the first blast of the Referee’s whistle, the Warriors made their intentions known. They charged at their opponents, dominated possession, and pinned the visitors in their half.
Doma United had their keeper to thank for not going behind in less than a minute of the start when he blocked Sunday Megwo’s shot from eight yards out. It was chance after chance for Abia Warriors after that incident but they failed to convert any.
Nonetheless, the home side had a breakthrough in the 42nd minute when Sunday Megwo was brought down in the visitor’s vital area, and the center referee wasted no time in pointing to the spot for a penalty to Abia Warriors.
Ifeanyi Anaemena was the man entrusted with the responsibility, and the former Enyimba International center half lived up to expectations sending Doma United’s goal tender Osayi Kingdom, the wrong way to score the opening goal and his 3rd of the campaign.
The Warriors ended the first half the stronger of the two sides, and they approached the second half the same way as the first. Within three minutes of the start of the second half, they would have been 2-0 up.
Star midfielder, Emmanuel Onu’s corner kick was headed out by the visitors, and the ball dropped on the path of Captain fantastic Augustine Njoku, who took a first-time shot that hit the crossbar.
A minute later however it was 2-0 for the Warriors. A string of passes from the Warriors ended with Emmanuel Onu placing a beautiful pass to Sunday Megwo who had time and space to trap and kick the ball beyond the on-rushing goalkeeper to score and send the spectators into a frenzy.
Abia Warriors were home and dry at this point, and they would have scored more with Samson Obi, Onu, and Megwo coming close.
Eight minutes of added time shown by the fourth official had already gone seven minutes when Ojonugwa Adejoh capped a fine performance with the third goal of the game after Arinze Ogbonna’s well-tailored long pass found the overlapping Augustine Njoku.
The former Nigeria U-20 defender controlled and squared the ball to Ojonugwa, whose shot was parried by the goalkeeper, and he reacted the quickest to volley the loose ball into an empty net for Abia Warrior’s most comprehensive win of the season.
Up next for Abia Warriors is a date with Remo Stars at lkenne in a Match Day 19 encounter.
