Imperial Upend VOE in Five-Goal Thriller

High-flying VOE were brought down to earth by Imperial, suffering their first defeat of the season.

Things got off to a quiet start as both sides took a cautious approach to the game. A 15-minute half-time break was enough to get the players pumped as the 2nd half got off to a frenzied start.

In the 52nd minute, Ajibade David rose highest in the 18-area to nod home from close range, putting Imperial ahead. 10 minutes later, Ajao Idowu levelled matters from the spot, placing the ball beyond the goalie’s reach.

But seven minutes after their equalizer, VOE again found themselves on the back foot. Their failure to deal with aerial balls cost them yet again as an unmarked Bashir Abdulkarim sent his header into the bottom-right corner to restore Imperial’s lead.

The rollercoaster of goals took another turn in the 77th minute as VOE again pulled one back to draw level. The game seemed destined for a draw until Imperial rewrote the denouement with a late goal.

After a lengthy Digital Assistant Review, Imperial were awarded a penalty. Bashir picked his spot and fired home to hand VOE their first defeat of the season.

MAN OF THE MATCH

Bashir Abdulkareem (imperial)

The forward scored the winning penalty to cap his excellent performance on the day.