Some would say that, it was a ‘baptism of fire’ for the side in the City of Port Harcourt whose exertions in their league opener were marred in a disappointing fashion.
It was a dreadful afternoon for the visitors who were guest to Ben Ayade FC at the U.J Esuene Stadium Calabar, in the 2016/2017 Pipul TV Nation-Wide League, Division Two opening fixture.
Their indignities started in the opening minutes of the game, when the man in between the sticks Bobby Nwanoruo, rushed out to clear the danger, which he failed to hold grips of the ball and which in-turn fell nicely for an un-marked Jacob Pius, who calmly slammed home the opener in the 11th minute of play.
He got injured following a collision he had with a player during the contest, that led to the opener, and subsequently leading to an early substitution, that saw Elijah Onyekwere coming in his stead.
The capitulation was further marred by the goal keeper’s howler in the 37th minute. He left his lines to punch out the ball that was floated into his box, unfortunately, he failed to get his hands at the ball which gifted the host the chance to double their lead.
Despite those goal keeping blunders, the visitors upped their game at the restart. Substitute, and the club’s player for the month of May, Afonime Atoabasi, saw his right footed volley clattered across the bar in the 62nd minute.
The annihilation was completed in the 80th minute when the Assistant Referee, who ought to have flagged a player for an offside, gave the player the opportunity to head home their third of the day to complete a dreadful evening for SKE FC.
Meanwhile, a disappointed Coach John Nyamali attributed his side’s defeat to nervousness by the players.
” The players allowed the occassion to get over them and their nervousness paved way for the host to score those goals which led to the loss. It was a painful situation to concede those cheap goals.”
The Coach went on to say that he is not perturbed with the outcome of the result.
” This is our first game in the league and I’m confident that these defeat won’t deter us from picking maximum points in our next game.” said Nyamali
SKE FC will be guest to Obingwa FC in their next league game at the Umuahia Township Stadium, which takes place on the 15th of June 2017.
