Dolphins FC lost 2-1 to Warri Wolves in their final match of the Glo Premier League Super 4 to finish bottom of the table.
Wolves’ Sikiru Adewale equalised Onyekachi Akakem’s 5th-minute opener, five minutes past half-an-hour before Abu Azeez’s left-foot strike sealed three points for the ‘Seasiders’ in the 89th minute.
Dolphins ended the match with ten men after Emeka Atuloma got his marching order in the 58th minute for a second booking.
Wolves, one of Nigeria’s representatives in the forthcoming Caf Confederation Cup, started their pre-season preparation slowly but will be encouraged by the fact that they’ve ended the Super 4 tournament in fifth position with six points from five matches.
Dolphins, who are the country’s other representatives at the Caf second-tier club football competition by virtue of their runners-up berth in last year’s Federation Cup, lost all five matches of the season curtain-raiser.
The Port-Harcourt side got off to a good start and after 13 minutes were hard-donned by Wolves goalkeeper Okiemute Odah, who tipped an Atuloma long-range shot wide.
Pyagbara had the ball in the back of the net in the 20th minute, but his effort was ruled for offside by the assistant referee.
Adewale almost restored parity 8 minutes later but watched his effort bounce off the post; Michael Egbeta poked home the rebound, but his celebration was also cut short for an offside call.
Osadiaye’s goal three minutes into the second period was the third case of an offside goal in the game and Egbeta was wasteful from the edge of the goal area two minutes later.
Wolves’ Michale Okoyoh was then at the mercy of goalkeeper Sunday Rotimi, who impressively kept out his effort on the hour mark and an unmarked Stanley Dimgba also headed Joseph Osadiaiye’s cross off target in the 71st minute.
Rotimi was eventually broken by Azeez’s match-winner a minute to full-time after saving the Nigeria beach international’s low shot few minutes earlier.
