After suffering defeat in their previous league encounter in Katsina, Abia Warriors roared back to victory with an emphatic 3-1 defeat of Shooting Stars Sports Club of Ibadan at the Umuahia Township Stadium to keep their continental hopes alive.
It was a solid performance from Umu Chineke as they have gone thirteen straight home games without defeat and with this latest victory, they have regained the third position on the log with 56 points, just two points behind second placed Rivers United of Port Harcourt.
Abia Warriors gaffer, Imama Amapakabo made two changes to the side that started the previous game against Katsina United, Paul Samson and Andrew Abalaogu starting ahead of Maxwell Kangeshima and the injured skipper, Augustine Njoku respectively.
The Warriors made their intentions known from the first blast of the referee’s whistle as they went in search of an early goal.
The pressure paid off as they took the lead in the 7th minute of play from a goal-mouth scramble with Ojonugwa Adejoh smashing the ball into the net as the visitors failed to clear Paul Samson’s cross.
It was 2-0 after nineteen minutes as Anthony Ijoma scored what might contend for “the goal of the season” for his 12th of the campaign.
The heavily built Abia Warriors number nine got the ball at the centre of the pitch and went on a marauding run, beating his markers in the process before calmly slotting the ball beyond the onrushing Shooting Stars goalkeeper, Abiodun Akande as the Warriors went into the break on two goals advantage.
Umu Chineke started the second half the same way they ended the first, and within four minutes of restart, they were three goals up.
Paul Samson delivered a swift corner kick that was headed home by Sunday Megwo, for his 11th league goal of the season.
He was unlucky not to get on the score sheet in the first half, as his header off a corner-kick narrowly missed the target. This time, he was not to be denied.
The visitors pulled one back in the 57th minute as Alex Aghahowa rose the highest to head home a swift corner that the Warriors failed to clear.
The goal only served as a mere consolation for the visitors as the Warriors saw off the game with their 17th victory of the season.
Next for Abia Warriors is an away tie against Niger Tornadoes in Kaduna.