Playing its first home match in 3 seasons Heartland Football Club of Owerri at the Dan Anyiam Stadium last night tossed away three points to Nassarawa United Football Club.
Nassarawa United banged in 2 goals against the solitary lone goal by Heartland.
This is the second game of the team in the 2021 NPFL league which started last week, The Club had lost in its first encounter against Katsina recording two straight losses.
In what looks like a payback former Heartland player, Chinedu Ohanachom spotting jersey 19 had opened up scoring for the visiting team. In the next minute they came close to increasing the tally when unmarked Silas Nwankwo blew away a good chance missing target with post empty, the goal
keeper having being displaced.
The Miners as they are fondly called showed more aggression, fluid passes, in the first half anchoring play in the flanks where diminutive Aliyu played on the right wing and Ikenna Offor on the left.
Heartland was less mobile and uncoordinated for much of the time in the game but showed brilliant flashes but not strong enough to connect the goals. First half ended 1-0 in favour of NUFC.
Second half commenced with pressure from the visitors with Heartland forcing them to concede four corner kicks within seven minutes. In the 64th minute of the second half Shedrack Ogali pulled one back for Heartland raising hope that victory might swing in its favour.
In the 76th minute through a defensive blunder by left back Silas Nwankwo who made it two for the Miners. Heartland made its maximum substitution in the encounter while Nassarawa made four changes.
Nassarawa FC attracted 2 yellow cards going to Nichodemus and David Ehige while Samuel Nnochiri of Heartland also received a yellow card.
Heartland Coach had attributed the defeat to fatigue and not mastering the pitch which they are playing on for the first time in 3 years. They only trained in the pitch once. He was not forthcoming on how poor motivation had affected the morale of the team who are owed months of unpaid salary.
Coach Bala Nikyu explained that he substituted Chinedu the goal scorer because he sustained an injury and acknowledged Heartland
