Calabar Rovers start relegation battle

Professional League division 1b side Calabar Rovers Kick-started their 'Operation Survive relegation' last Saturday on an inspiring note with a resounding 2-0 defeat of visiting Crown Football Club of Oshogbo inside the Brigadier Udokaha Esuene Stadium, Calabar, nigeriasports.com can report.

With the gates thrown open, a near capacity crowd jammed the stadium hoping to satisfy their curiosity but they had to wait out a pulsating 80 minutes before the home team exploded into life.

It looked like it was going to be honours even until the 85th minute when a panicky Crown defender handled the ball inside his eighteen yard box for a penalty kick that was promptly awarded by the referee.

Rovers Ottawan Ottawan was as cool as cucumber as he stepped up to bury the ball behind the keeper as the stadium erupted into a frenzy.

Then three minutes later, Ugo Okpara Obi surged into Crown's danger zone to meet a well laid cross and without hesitation headed the ball home, into the far corner of the post to consolidate a Rovers win.

“It was a tough game but the three points secured has put us in the right frame of mind to confront Bayelsa United this weekend', an excited Club Chairman Ekanem Ekpenyong enthused.

Ekpenyong, an ex-Rovers player was also full of praise for the supporters who turned out en-masse to boost the team's morale.

“It was wonderful. Rovers have never had it so good in terms of support and I'm glad that they were duly rewarded. This is just the beginning of our revival and there is no going back”.

Technical Adviser of the team,ex-international Uwem Ekarika was also full of praise for the players but said they are yet to give their very best

'I salute the courage of the boys. This is a young team and we are just rebuilding. But my players are yet to realize their full potentials. I am confident that they can do better in subsequent matches', said the former Calabar Rovers and Leventis United hot-shot.