Jonas Emmanuel restored parity for visiting Heartland in Katsina five minutes after they conceded to the hosts in one of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) MatchDay 14 Monday evening fixtures.
Emmanuel had poked in a delivery from Chukwujike Jacob for what turned out to extend their good showing since the arrival of their new Manager, Erasmus Onu.
Emmanuel afterwards expressed delight at scoring the equalizer that helped Heartland Fc pick a point from the match.
Katsina United had taken the lead through a Sani Faisal goal on 25 minutes in circumstances Heartland deemed controversial.
Looking back at the match, the striker said he thought Heartland was the better side and had greater opportunities at goal and blamed those missed chances for their failure to walk away with the maximum points.
‘I think we had all the opportunity to kill the game and go home with the three points but failed to convert the many chances we created especially in the second stanza”, Emmanuel told NPFL
“We were too anxious in front of goal, but overall I am grateful to God for this point picked”, Emmanuel concluded.
Katsina United Mustapha Salisu was left furious over their poor run of form, which he described as a “difficult time for the team”.
He said they will keep fighting until the club finds good fortune.
‘” It has been a difficult period for Katsina United as things are not working out fine and we are in the relegation zone, I call on our fans to rally behind the team, we will keep pushing until we move to a better position”, Mustapha pleaded.
STATS
Man of the match: Femi Thomas (Heartland)
Caution: Mathew Emmanuel, Usman Barau, Nasiru Sani Katsina United).
Caution: Femi Thomas, Jonas Emmanuel (Heartland)
Katsina United are 17th on the log with 14 points from fourteen rounds of matches, while Heartland is one point adrift of Katsina on 18th position, having amassed 13 points.
Heartland will next host Enyimba International in an oriental derby as Katsina United travels to face Remo Stars next Sunday.
Match Details
Katsina Unitd Team ListDaouda Kassaly GK 21, Nafiu Ibrahim 24, Nasiru Sani 3, Usman Barau 4, Habibu Yakubu 5, Sani Faisal 31, Mustapha Salisu 16, Mathew Emmanuel 14, Atilola Abdulsalam Tunde 20, Boubacar Djibo Talatou 27, Amah Chibundu 8
Subs Used: Madaki Alkali Dauda 18, Nweke Ebuka Solomon 17
Unused Subs: Elkanah Godgift Gk 1, Frank Kappe 22, Heutchoukulong Gerome 2, Adebayo Waheed 32, Lawal Samson Adeniran 37, Abdulkareem Ahmed 10, Tasiu Lawal 7
Heartland Team ListOlufemi Thomas Gk 16, Oghene Sunday 12, Okon Samuel 24, Ezeali Kingsley 31, Anyanwu Nnaemeka 22, Ggbadamosi Jimoh 4, Egbujuo Nnamdi 10, Chukwujike Jacob 23, Ndukwu Murphy 9, Jonas Emmanuel 18, Alukwu Jonathan 32
Subs Used: Onokwuru Ikenna 28, Nwaodu Chukwudi 8, Ebuka Okoro 6, Nzediegwu Nonso 7, Mbaoma Chijoke 15
Unused Subs: Paul Godwin Gk 13, David Ifeanyi 35, Okorie Arinze 26, Maduforo Kingsley 11
Venue: Muhammadu Dikko Stadium, Katsina
NPFL/Nnenna.
O
Katsina Was Lucky In 1-1 Draw – Heartland’s Jonas Emmanuel