Plateau United FC faced defeat against Katsina United on Match Day 26, but there was a silver lining as Albert Hilary climbed to the top of the NPFL goal scorers chart.
The match took place at the Mohammed Dikko Stadium in Katsina, where Katsina United emerged victorious with a 2-1 scoreline.
Katsina United, positioned eighth before the match, had been in decent form since Matchday 20, earning eight points from their last six games. On the other hand, Plateau United had a near-perfect run, with their only setback being a 3-1 loss to Sunshine Stars on Match Day 24. They had accumulated an impressive 13 points from the last six matches, placing them second before the encounter in Katsina.
The opening goal came in the thirteenth minute when Alex Enejo won a penalty for Plateau United after a foul by Katsina United’s Chidera Ezeh. Albert Hilary stepped up and converted the penalty, joining Enyimba’s Chijioke Mbaoma as joint top scorers in the NPFL with 12 goals each.
Katsina United responded 26 minutes later as Ibe Okoro set up Idoko Andrew Alecheno for the equalizer. The hosts took the lead in the 80th minute when Azeez Falolu’s pass found Moses Effiong, who was fouled in the box to earn another penalty. However, Ibe Okoro failed to convert as Plateau United’s goalkeeper Suraj Ayeleso made a crucial save.
With just 11 minutes remaining, Katsina United secured the victory as Falolu Azeez assisted Chidera Eze for the winning goal, delighting their fans and securing their eighth home win of the season.
Plateau United, currently in fourth place, will regroup for Match Day 27 with a home match against Akwa United in Jos.
