6 February 2011
Dolphin have reopened a four-point lead at the top of the Nigeria Premier League after a 1-0 home win over closest rivals Sunshine Stars.
Dolphin thus have 30 points from 14 matches, while Sunshine Stars stay on 26 points.
Ghanaian striker Owusu Addae was the match hero for the Port Harcourt side with a 20th minute strike off a pass by twin striker Emma Nwachi.
Sunshine fought to draw level but Dolphin held on to maintain a superb home record.
Last season, this fixture had ended in a 1-1 draw.
However, Sunshine coach, Gbenga Ogunbote, was defiant in defeat, insisting his team remain on track to win their first NPL championship.
Struggling Plateau United pulled a 1-1 draw away at Kwara United.
Former Ranch Bees striker Kabiru Sanusi put Kwara in front after 47 minutes, before George Akpabio restored parity for Plateau United nine minutes from time when he lobbed over an onrushing Kwara goalkeeper Yekeen Kareem.
Kwara are now ninth in the standings and Plateau remain second from bottom with 10 points from 13 games.
In Minna, Niger Tornadoes put a stop to their poor home form by beating Gombe United on their return to the Bako Kontagora Stadium.
After an evenly contested first half, the hosts finally broke the stalemate in the second period amid rife speculations that a new head coach will be named in the new week.
Tornadoes have climbed to 14th place on 15 points from 14 matches, while Gombe are now 12th.
Tornadoes coach Samson Unuanel is ill and was conspicuously missing on the bench on Saturday.
The match could have gone either way, lamented Gombe coach, Bernard Ogbe.
