Amuneke: Heartland will continue to grow in confidence

Heartland FC head coach, Emmanuel Amuneke believes the Naze Millionaires will continue to grow and seek to be error free in subsequent games after the team was narrowly edged in the embers of 3-2 defeat to Plateau United in Jos on Sunday evening.

The game, a Nigeria Premier Football League Matchday 16 was filled with spectacle and action packed at the New Jos Stadium with both sides matching each other skills for skills and toe and for toe as the tie produced five goals.

Sunday Anthony put the home side in the lead in the fifth minute and the lone goal was sustained till the end of the first half. The game took another dimension in the second half with Tobi Iyanda scoring two early goals to put the Naze Millionaires in the ascendancy with his goals in the 53rd and 57th minutes. Anthony again benefitted from Daniel Itodo’s long throw-in to score his second of the game in the 69th minute. The Peace Boys’ first goal came from the same Itodo’s long throw-in.

Mafeng Pam’s 90th minute strike settled the contest for Plateau United from another goal mouth scramble.

Speaking with journalists shortly after the game, Amuneke praised the fighting spirits of both teams while also having special plaudits for Plateau United who made use of their potent long throw ins to get the job done.

Amuneke noted that Heartland would have got a positive result from the encounter had the players held their nerves in the closing stages of the game while adding that they would return to Owerri to make needed corrections to the lapses noticed before their weekend tie with Bendel Insurance.

“I have to congratulate Plateau United. They played very good football. Like I keep on emphasising if we want our football to grow, we must get a standard,” Amuneke said.

“It was a very interesting game. Both teams played very well. Plateau United used what they have in terms of long throw- in to achieve their objective. We scored very beautiful goals but unfortunately the players lost concentration in the late minute of the game.

“It is football and we will continue to grow. The league is like a marathon and what we owe ourselves is for us to continue to seek improvement and see areas to further develop ourselves.”

Plateau United have moved out of the relegation by the victory. They are 15th with 18 points but Heartland have slipped to the 13th spot with 20 points.

Plateau United will face Lobi Stars in Lafia in another North Central derby while Heartland FC are at home to Bendel Insurance.