Barely A Minute : A Freewrite

Call it a show of shame, that is exactly the best way to describe what happened in Sunday's Matchday encounter between Bayelsa United FC of Yenagoa and Shooting Stars Sports Club (SC) of Ibadan.

Barely a minute into the second half, a fan, armed with a bottled water, ran onto the pitch and poured the substance on the face of Shooting Stars' goalkeeper, Odah Okemute, who went down as a result of the attack and had to be attended to by the medics.

With the game halted at this point, some fans and officials of Bayelsa United swooped on the referee, insisting that he must continue with the match, sensing that Shooting Stars might decide to walk out.

Afraid of what the fans might do, the referee forced Shooting Stars to continue with the game, insisting that Okemute should be substituted even when the goalie was still being treated.

In order not to run foul of the rules, which might lead to the award of their points and three goals to the opponent, the Oluyole Warriors decided to continue with the game.

As from that moment, the referee and his assistants lost their composure, afraid of being dealt with by the Bayelsa United fans who were ready to unleash terror, and had the result gone against them.

With the result standing at - at the minutes,and with the hosts doing everything to get the winning goal, the referee added extra minutes, within which Bayelsa United scored their second goal.

After the goal, bal boys were nowhere to be found, while balls became scarce, with Shooting Stars' players and officials made to run around in search of balls.

At the end of the encounter, some of the officials of Bayelsa United, said they were poised to go haywire, had the game ended in favour of the Oluyole Warriors.

Recalled that the same scenario played out when Bayelsa United hosted Sporting Lagos, with the fans attacking the match officials after the encounter, which ended -.
Shame shame shame on NPFL