Dolphins surrender winning streak

Nigeria Premier League (NPL) leaders, Dolphins, lost a topflight game for the first time in more than a month.

In spite of the loss, Dolphins still remain at the summit of the NPL with 27 points – one more than Sunshine Stars in second place.

The former Nigerian champions dropped all points at Ocean Boys after Benjamin Felix and Andrew Michael both scored inside 40 minutes to end Dolphins’ five-game winning streak.

Ocean Boys got off the blocks fastest than their rivals and pinned back Dolphins for longer spells of the game.

The home side broke the deadlock inside a quarter of an hour through a scrambled goal though Dolphins protested that the ball did not cross the line.

But the match officials adjudged otherwise and awarded the goal to Ocean Boys.

At first, it was believed that Dolphins’ goalkeeper, Afeso Attah, got the last touch but it was Felix who later claimed the goal.

Stanley Eguma’s Dolphins showed no signs of a fight-back and Ocean Boys continued to probe the backline of the away side.

On 40 minutes the probe paid off, as Andrew, who joined Ocean Boys from rivals, Bayelsa United, scored one of the well-worked goals of the season.

After some great work on the flank, Chigozie Christopher’s magnificent cross was coolly dispatched away by Andrew to make the score two-nil.

The restart of the game went on with little effort from the league leaders to keep their five-game unbeaten run intact.

Ocean Boys held on to win their fourth game of the campaign and put an end to the longest winning streak of the season.

Dolphins last lost a Premier League game on December 19, 2010 at Kaduna United.

They lost that game by 1 – 2 but followed up with five straight wins against Kwara United (1 – 0), Crown Football Club (1 – 0), Heartland (1 – 0), Lobi Stars (1 – 0) and Kano Pillars (1 – 0).