Sunshine Stars and Warri Wolves shared the spoils in an exhilarating 2019 NPFL match day two contest that saw the hosts denied what appeared to be a clear cut late penalty at the Ondo State Sports Complex Akure on Sunday.
Charles Upele gave the visitors the lead with a scrapy header off a corner kick in the 29th minute despite the home side dominance from the start.
However, the coach Kabiru Dogo charges will only trail for six minutes.
Sunshine Stars’ equaliser came through red-hot striker, Israel Abia who received, controlled and slotted into the bottom right corner to restore parity nine minutes before the break.
The marauding Abia could have handed his side the advantage with his second in the 71′ after working his way into the Seasiders area, but his rather tame effort in front of goal was kept out by Richard Ocheayi’s leg.
The Akure landlords turned up the heat few minutes from time and thought for a moment they found reprieve when youth team product, Kolade Adeniji was hacked down rashly in the area by Ocheayi, but, surprisingly the stadium waited in vain for the sound of the penalty call whistle.
In the end Wolves managed to see out the game all square by defending deeply and desperately in the closing stages.
The Owena Whales next face Rangers in a rescheduled week one fixture in Enugu on Thursday.
Sunshine XI: Suleiman; Abe, Adeniyi, Adeyemi, Akande; Fatokun, Omaka, Ekelojuoti, Olulayo (Adeniji 51′); Abia, Otegbeye (Adejunu 73′)
Unused Subs: Ariyo; Obasi, Obanigba, Akinlose.
