Match report: Enyimba 1-1 Plateau United

Victor Mbaoma’s well-taken goal was cancelled out by Austin Opara’s second half strike as Enyimba shared the spoils with Plateau United at the Enyimba Stadium on Saturday evening.

Mbaoma beat the offside line to chip over Suraj Ayeleso and give the hosts a merited lead close to the half-hour, but the visitors pulled themselves back when Opara shot into John Noble’s near post eighteen minutes from time.

Enyimba bossed the early proceedings and got their first sniff of goal when Mbaoma volleyed Emmanuel Ampiah’s pass over the top.

The hosts followed up with the buoyant Bilal Yakubu sending in a low cross that eluded both Mbaoma and Samuel Stone before the arriving Ekene Awazie hit it wide from the far post.

Mbaoma then put the People’s Elephant in the lead, running onto Oladapo’s lobbed pass to send an audacious chip over Ayeleso in the 28th minute.

Mbaoma’s intelligent goal, his fifth of the campaign, was exactly what Finidi George’s men deserved for a completely dominant first half display; however, the second half wore an entirely different look as United flipped the table.

John Noble produced two saves to deny Mohammed Zulkifilu and Andrew Ikefe, before the rampant visitors eventually found their equaliser through Opara in the 72nd minutes.

Enyimba’s late surge to regain their lead saw Mbaoma, Cyril Olisema, Sadiq Abubakar and Johnson Umah with promising moments, but Ayeleso was brilliant to cut off any threat.