Okpotu’s treble sink Sunshine Stars for Lobi Stars News

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Okpotu’s treble sink Sunshine Stars for Lobi Stars

By George Akpayen on April 20, 2017

Anthony Okpotu produced a brilliant individual performance in front of goal for Lobi Stars by netting three times in their 3-1 success over struggling Sunshine Stars in Wednesday’s Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) contest.

The former Al-Ittihad Tripoli striker needed 37 minutes to score three times past Sunshine Stars at the Aper Aku Stadium in Makurdi.

Okpotu should have opened scoring on 10 minutes after superb play by Ezekiel Mba whose cross picked out the forward. But he could only head agonizingly off target.

With 10 minutes to the break, Mba set up Okpotu and again he just could not apply the proper finish to give Lobi that deserved lead.

It was the turn of Okpotu’s strike partner Kingsley Eduwo to miss a scoring chance on 40 minutes after dribbling his way past his markers and into the box.

Lobi continued to press high up against Sunshine Stars and two minutes into added time of first half, Okpotu headed in the first of his three goals. That goal gave the hint of what was to come in the second 45 minutes.

It took just four minutes into the restart before Okpotu got his second of the game.

Six minutes later, Okpotu did not score his third goal but rather got booked for aggressive play which was proof of intent he wanted a third strike in a game they should have killed off in the first half.

Twelve minutes to time, Okpotu tested Sunshine Stars goalkeeper Olorunleke Ojo. The stopper this time clutched the striker’s attempt at goal, determined not to ship in a third from the same man.

On 80 minutes, Sunshine Stars had a rare scoring chance and Samad Kadiri made no mistake of directing his headed attempt past Lobi goalkeeper Okiemute Odah to give his team a lifeline.

Two minutes later Okpotu popped up at the other end to end any kind of comeback or fightback aspiration Sunshine Stars must have nursed after Samad’s goal by calmly slotting in Cletus Itodo’s assist past Ojo for his third of the contest.

The performance ensured Lobi Stars move into ninth place from 12th with 27 points after 19 matches while Sunshine Stars remain in the bottom-three just as they started the matchday.

•Photo shows Lobi Stars hat trick hero Anthony Okpotu.

Source Daily Sports

Posted April 20, 2017