Our second game of the second half of the season saw us travel to Ekiti State to take on Ekiti United at the Oluyemi Kayode Stadium, Ado-Ekiti in Matchday 13 of the Nigeria National League (NNL) 2022 season.
A shoulder to Okachi in the last game and a late illness to John Amah saw us make two major changes to the line up from the last game amongst others.
LINE UP: GK: Paul Akor; Sebastine Godwin, Musa Habeeb , Gabriel Adewara, Harrison Austin; Gafar Ojo, Tosin Oyedokun, Waliu Ojetoye , Salami Ismail; Farouk Salami & Paul Ogunkoya.
Earlier than we had settled, the host ran into an early lead after two minutes when a player broke free on the right after a challenge from Gabriel and his low cross into the box was put past Paul in goal. That’s the fastest goal Ikorodu City have conceded in the NNL this season.
Chasing the game now and a hostile crowd screaming behind, we got the equalizer ten minutes later when Salami Ismail crossed from the left inside the box and Paul arrived late into the box to tap home from close range to bring us level.
The first half ran away with chances at both ends but no one willing to take chances and it was 1-1 at the break.
The second half started as the first, the host threatened and then Ikorodu City responded with few and limited chances.
The hosts went back in front courtesy of a strike that took a huge deflection off Harrison and left Paul who was going the other way helpless.
Hassan, Odibo, Muiz and Michael replaced Ismail, Farouk, Tosin and Gafar as we searched frantically for an equalizer which did not materialize as the game ended in a 2-1 defeat.
Up next, it’s Ibom Youths at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos as we look to bounce back from the poor start to the second half of the season of the NNL.