By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
A late minute penalty goal scored by John Bassey in the 88th minute and a first half strike by Chukwuma Agor in the 30th minute ensured that Heartland Football Club defeated hard-fighting Shooting Stars Sports Club of Ibadan 2-1in Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) Week 24 match played at Dan Anyiam Stadium Owerri on Sunday.
The high-profile match was heading to a draw after Adam Mustapha stepped forward to convert a penalty goal in the 80th minute to equalise the match and to give the Oluyole Warriors a glimmer of hope of returning to Oyo state with a point in the bag.
But it was not to be as Heartland was awarded a penalty after Shooting Stars was penalised for an infringement in the box. Bassey did not make any mistake from the penalty spot as he scored to make the scoreline 2-1, which gifted Heartland all three points at stake.
Efforts to come back to the game turned fruitless as the Naze Millionaires held on to their lead until the final whistle with the players and home fans celebrating the win like a cup final.
By this victory, Heartland has avenged the 1-0 defeat it suffered in the first half of the 2024/2025 NPFL season in Ibadan, just as the win has now catapulted Owerri-based club from 14th position to 12th position with 32 points after 24 matches.
Heartland has also won three matches, drawn one, and lost only one game in five last league matches to still nurse the ambition of finishing in the upper ladder if it continues to record impressive wins against other top spot clubs in the remaining league matches.
Meanwhile, Heartland Technical Manager Emmanuel Amuneke has given kudos to his players for playing according to instructions, pointing out that he demanded total concentration throughout the match because their opponents are a good team that should not be taken for granted.
“We are happy to beat Shooting Stars today, but they are not a pushover. We worked hard for our victory, and we shall take it. I have said that Heartland is still not where we want to be, but we are making steady progress. So we shall get there, and our fans will be happy for it, “Amuneke told Prompt News in a chat after the match.
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