The electric atmosphere at the Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba came to life on a mildly scorching Sunday morning. The Oil City Derby between Ughelli Rovers Football Club and Isoko United, shaped up to be a thrilling encounter, given the rivalry and recent performances of both teams.
With the two local powerhouses weighing it out on the turf, to either securing or reviving their fate in the race for a place in the zonal playoffs of the New Year Mega Lottery Nationwide League One (NLO) Division One 2025 Season.
This was more than just a tie that saw Isoko United emerged victorious with a 1-0 win against Ughelli Rovers Football Club in a tense local showdown.
With the lone-goal triumph turning momentum for the Oleh-based side, having earlier suffered a back-to-back defeat to Delta Marines (0-2) and Itamah Football Academy (2-3) respectively coming into this year’s exciting showdown.
The result marked the second straight head-to-head victory for Isoko United over the Eguono V’Ovwian Boys at this NLO preliminary stage, cementing their dominance in the fiery Oil City Derby so far.
The encounter was a feisty affair, with both teams turning up with high intensity from the first kick. Isoko United, seen by their confidence and high-pressing play early in the game struggled to break through an Ughelli Rovers’ compact defense. The derby match ended scoreless at half-time.
The first clear attempt at goal in the second half won’t arrived until the 49th minute when Awo Oghenetega latched onto a precise cut-in cross and fired a low shot past Rovers’ captain and goalkeeper Efe Bartholomew, sending their numbered supporters on the far stand into roar.
Ughelli Rovers responded with persistence, strongly pushing for an equalizer toward the last quarter. Their best chance came on the half-hour mark, only for their expectation to be wasted, preserving the scoreline.
The Oleh-based outfit’s resilience ensured they held firm through the remainder of the game to seal the victory. This win mirrors Isoko United’s previous 2-1 win against Ughelli Rovers, underlining their edge in this rivalry.
Ughelli Rovers’ head coach, Ekete Nyerovwo, rued the missed opportunity, stating that the lone defeat won’t determine their season. Though, are keen on taking on the next opponent with more aggressiveness.
“We created chances but didn’t convert. That second half miss hurt us, but we’ll learn and bounce back. The defeat leaves us with work to do in our next match, while we try to get this off our minds though it’s not easy”, he admits.
With this result, Ughelli Rovers are with three points from two games on the standings of the Asaba Centre 1. The Eguono V’Ovwian Boys now shifts focus to their next match, aiming to revamp their spiritedness.