Rivers United cruise to easy win over Katsina United

Goals from Michael Gopey and Ishaq Rafiu either side of half time proved decisive as Rivers United cruised to a routine 2-0 win over a poor Katsina United side in the Nigeria Professional Football League on Sunday.

Gopey’s fabulous strike in the fifth minute set the tone for a dominant and powerful first half display from the hosts who could have added three more, at the very least, in a largely one-sided first half in which the visitors failed to muster a single shot on target.

Gilt-edged opportunities came and went the way of United but Ishaq on two occasions, Gopey and Esor Nelson all failed to make the visitors pay.

United continued to dominate in the second half and it was only a matter of time before consistent pressure led to a second goal by the impressive Ishaq who finished off impressively in the 75th minute.

Esor Nelson picked up a second Yellow card with a little over nine minutes remaining to put a blur on an otherwise perfect day in the office for the hosts.

The dismissal meant, Obomate Frederick’s season’s debut (the midfielder was already on the touchline to replace the dismissed Esor) was halted.

Technical manager of Rivers United, Stanley Eguma stopped short of describing Sunday’s display as his side’s best of the season.

“No, it wasn’t our best display of the season because we still need to be more clinical in front of goal,” he said.

“It is not yet time for us to celebrate. Sometimes, we play and we don’t score goals.

“Today, we scored two but I believe that we could have scored more,” he said.

Henry Makinwa, head coach of Katsina United, said his team lacked potency in the game.

“Clinically, we were very poor,” he said.

Rivers United have moved into seventh place in the NPFL standings with 12 points from eight mat