Abia Warriors Football Club of Umuahia are through to the group stage of this year’s Aiteo Cup competition after a commanding 3-1 victory over Crown of Ogbomosho at the Warri City Stadium,National Daily learnt.
After Crown flattered to deceive with some incisive football which drew some applause from the scanty crowd, it was however the Warriors who raised the curtains in the 43rd minute through Obi Samson who smashed in from close range.
The lower league opposition side fought back with venom and duly got the leveller just four minutes after the re-start. If Obi Samson’s goal was a hit, the strike by Adigun Adewale equally attracted similar platitudes raising hope that there was going to be a battle.
But such expectations soon extinguished when Ndifreke Effiong started his show locating Benin Republic import, Kola Raimi who screened two Crown defenders before burying the ball at the bottom left corner of Adeniyi Adejare’s post in the 57 the minute.
The game ended as a contest three minutes later when Ndifreke Effiong started and ended a swift move which also involved Chisom Osuji, Shedrack Asiegbu and Sherif Bashir.
Thereafter, Crown tried to put up some opposition but were duly contained by the more experienced Emmanuel Deutcsh led side until the referee sounded the last blast of his whistle.
Abia Warriors are now through to the group stage of the competition.