Heartland FC secured a dramatic 2-1 victory over Shooting Stars in their Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) Week 24 encounter at Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri, on Sunday, thanks to a last-gasp penalty by John Bassey.
Chukwuma Agor had given the Naze Millionaires an early lead in the 30th minute, but the visitors clawed back into the game when Adam Mustapha converted a penalty in the 80th minute, setting up a tense finale. However, just when it seemed Shooting Stars had done enough to snatch a point, Heartland was awarded a late penalty for an infringement inside the box. Bassey stepped up and made no mistake from the spot in the 88th minute, sealing all three points for the home side.
The victory not only avenges Heartland’s 1-0 loss to Shooting Stars in Ibadan earlier this season but also lifts them from 14th to 12th place on the league table with 32 points from 24 matches. Amuneke’s men have now won three of their last five matches, fueling hopes of a strong finish in the league.
Speaking after the match, Heartland’s Technical Manager, Emmanuel Amuneke, praised his players for executing his tactical instructions.
“We are happy to beat Shooting Stars today, but they are not a team to be taken lightly. We worked hard for this victory. Heartland is still not where we want to be, but we are making steady progress,” Amuneke stated.
Heartland will now shift focus to their next fixture as they aim to climb further up the table and secure a respectable finish in the NPFL.
