A well struck indirect free kick on 79 minutes by former Super Eagles winger, substitute, Felix Ogbuke, appearing in his very first match for seven-time Nigeria league champions, Rangers International F.C ensured that table topping side maintained its stay at the top with a 1-0 win over Kwara United, Bestchoicesports.com.ng can report.

The game was a match day 18 NPFL 2018/2019 group A fixture and the coach Olugbenga Ogunbote threw in all they had to earn a win inside the main bowl of Nnamdi Azikiwe stadium with a first start for Ifeanyi Egwim and former Heartland shot stopper, Japhet Opubo but the visitors showed enough grit to shove off all attacks.

Seka Pascal was the much livelier of the twin attackers fielded by the reigning NFF/Aiteo coach of the year but the duo of Chinedu Nwaze and Akinmo Sunday made sure that his threats was restricted to long range efforts as was the case on 39 minutes when his disguised shot was stopped by Jonah Usman in goal for Kwara United.

The visitors were contented with defending massively looking to catch the host on the counter while also deploying delay tactics to contain the more attack minded host.

The introduction of Ajani Ibrahim at the start of the second stanza failed to yield the needed dividends as Jonah Usman practically condemned the the game to a walking sports with his antics of falling to the ground for any little contact as the game was heading for a stalemate.

Ogbuke who came in for Chiamaka Madu was only four minutes in the game when he blasted onto the roof of the net on 79 minutes from a well worked indirect free kick after Usman was adjudged to have committed a foul on the edge of the box.

Efforts by the home side to increase the tally failed to yield more fruits till the final whistle to signal the end of the encounter.

Coach Ogunbote said, “It was a very difficult match but a well deserved win for us. We were not able to play a coordinated game today in front of the goal but I am glad we got all three points at stake. This victory means a lot to the psyche of the team going into the remaining matches of the league.”

With the win, Rangers extend its lead at the top of the log to six points occupying the prime position with 34 points from eighteen matches while Enyimba and MFM are placed second and third with 28 points respectively.

The ‘Flying Antelopes’ next engages Lobi Stars in a match day 19 fixture at Aper Aku stadium, Makurdi on Sunday, May 12, 2019.