Head Coach of Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC), Gbenga Ogunbote, has said the early goal the Oluyole Warriors scored against Lobi Stars FC gave them the advantage against the Makurdi side.

Mr Ogunbote said this on Tuesday in Ibadan during the game’s post-match news conference after the 2023/2024 Nigeria Premier Football League Match Day 30 fixture.

Shooting Stars defeated the visiting Lobi Stars FC 2-0 in the game played at the Lekan Salami Sports Complex.

He restated the commitment of his team to finish strong and clinch an appreciable position on the league table.

“The initial tension of the game was quickly and easily taken out due to our early goal. The early goal was enough for us to enhance team confidence and it gave us the boost to look for a security goal,” the coach said.

He noted that the team had eight games to determine their chances of getting a ticket to play on the continent next season.

“If we have good officiating in both home and away games, we can still pick more wins on the road. A level playing ground and good officiating always give a better side the opportunity to reap benefits of hard work,” Mr Ogunbote said.

He stated that the 3SC coaching crew, in conjunction with the team’s psychologists, had been encouraging the players.

The coach said they needed to rise up to the usual pressure among league table top contenders towards the end of the season.

“We are aware that in the league, the higher you go the tougher it becomes. We know that getting to the top of the table may not be too difficult but sustaining it is the main thing. All we need to do is to be mentally and physically ready and I can assure the fans that we have a team that can cope at this level,” he said.

Also, speaking, Coach Eugene Agagbe of Lobi Stars FC said he was satisfied with the performance of his team amid the loss to the hosts.

Mr Agagbe noted however that his team showed character and the capabilities to be on top of the league.

He said that he came with strategies to win the game, “but unforeseen issues common in a football game did not allow the strategies to work.’’

“As a coach, I must take responsibility for our loss today (Tuesday) because the players performed very well. All we need to do now is to put this loss behind us and prepare to win our next home game against Bendel Insurance of Benin. We are in the league with the objective of finishing among the top three. We are still maintaining our target with our current position on the league table. We are looking forward to winning our remaining away and home games to claim the league title,” he said.

Lobi Stars FC occupy third position on the league table with 51 points, while 3SC are in fourth position with 49 points.

(NAN)