Dolphins force Bayelsa to 1-1 draw

After an elaborate ceremony that had President of the Confederation of African Football, CAF, Issa Hayattou, Sports Minister, Samaila Sambawa and even former Miss World Agbani Derego taking part in formalities to open the new synthetic turf in the home ground of Dolphins, the Port Harcourt Liberation stadium, Dolphins impressed a few as they failed to do the business on the pitch.

Dolphins started with seven of the players who took them to the confederation cup final last year yet did not play with any cohesion whatsoever in the first sixty minutes of the game.

Most of all new boys, Nonso Ejems and Simon Micheal in defence, Micehal Simon in midfield and Kingsley Eleta in attack played like scared chickens in a dogs cage.

It was Bayelsa United who played more like a side determined to win the game and as early as the 7th minute, Gift Atulewa who proved to be a thorn in the flesh of the Dolphins defence gave the fans something to cheer about when he teased Emma Godwin and was almost walking past him and into the yard box before he was cruelly brought down, earning his side a free kick which was wasted.

Two minutes later, Atulewa again was on rampage and got past Uduak Udofia in right full back for Dolphins but was brought down for another free kick and Emmanuel Ogui almost chipped a badly positioned Chijioke Ejiogu in goal for Dolphins but he stretched full length to parry for a corner kick which was badly taken.

The only clear cut chance the homers got in the first half was a free header by Kingsley Eleta off a Victor Babayaro pullout but it went annoyingly wide to the chagrin of the coaches.

Injury caused the Bayelsa bench to replace Emmanuel Ogui with Bilamo Yabrifa and a minute later their persistence won them a corner which resulted in Emma Godwin heading in the wrong direction- inside his own net.

With more fans that the home side present at the stadium, the ovation that greeted the goal would have made passers by think Dolphins had gone ahead.

Immediately, Coach Ifeanyi Onyedika made a substitution bringing in Kola Anubi for Micheal Simeon who could not shake off his lethargy on the left side of midfield.

Dolphins made two more changes in the second half-Kazeem Ahmed in for Bola Bello and Liberian import William Dias for Kingsley Eleta which made the homers more stable especially in midfield but it was miss after miss from Wobo and new entrant Kazeem Ahmed.

And with all hope from the Port Harcourt side seeming lost, Kola Anubi made a last gasp solo run on the right through the eighteen yard box, taking out four defenders on his traill and from the blind side of the keeper, Kola blasted home giving the 2004 league champions something to cheer about.

Dolphins:
Chijioke Ejiogu, Uduak Udofia, Nonso Ejems, Dosso Alhassane, Mike Simon, Emma Godwin, Victor Babayaro, Owazuoke Wobo, Kingsley Eleta/ William Dias, Bola Bello/ Kazeem Ahmed , Simeon Mike/ Kola Anubi 43rd

Bayelsa United:

Sule Mohammed, Tarilaye Nwankwe, Emma Ogui/ Bilamo Yabrifa, Abel Tabor, Kola Awe, Anderson Ebimo, Osas Okoro, Kanu Anokwute, Gift Atulewa/ Pere Kidu, Albert Chinwo/ Segun Agani, Samson Auta

Cautions

Abel Tador 41st Bayelsa United