Warriors saw their patience well tested in the game as their visitors kept low blocks, mostly keeping eight men behind the ball while hitting back sporadically with dangerous counterattacks.
During the barren opening half hour, both goalkeepers Olorunleke Ojo and Yusuf Mohammed; two former youth internationals, brought out their best to deny opposing strikers.
However, Chukwuemeka Obioma gave the hosts the lead in the 33rd minute when he finished a cut-back by Samuel Christian after the winger had spurned a badly set offside trap. It was the former Enyimba star’s fifth goal of the campaign.
Warriors doubled their lead in the 40th minute when Paul Samson hit home a well struck free kick from the blind side of the two-man wall to get goalkeeper Mohammed stranded.
Katsina United were dealt a blow at half time when their liveliest player at that point, Joseph Atule went off injured with Samuel Kalu taking his place. That further whittled down the hopes of Baldwin Bazuaye’s men coming back into it.
Imama Amapakabo’s wards effectively sealed the game with a third in the 66th minute through midfielder Fatai Abdullahi who rounded up a swift counter attack started by Obioma to hammer home a splendid effort from 25 yards.
Warriors could not keep another clean sheet again though as Katsina United were awarded a spot kick when defender Ibukun Harrison handled Usman Bara’u’s cross. Rasheed Ahmed, one of Katsina United’s best player on the day converted from the spot 11 minutes from time to give his side a consolation.
The win was enough though, to send Warriors to eight spot temporarily depending on outcomes of Monday’s matches.
Katsina United on the other hand remain one spot and one point above the relegation zone having won only one of their last six matches.
Match details
Abia Warriors
30. Olorunleke Ojo 23 Kabiru Muhammad 37 Njoku Chimezie 17 Daniel Wotlai 2 Ibukun Harrison 15 Adekunle Adeleke 19 Samuel Christian (Mustapha Jibreel 69′) 4 Fatai Abdullahi 9 Obioma Chukwuemeka (Lukman Bello 72′) 21 Godwin Obaje (Utibe Arit 80′) 7 Paul Samson (Yakub Hammed 69′)
Unused subs
22. Vincent Edafe 29 Ogar David 10 Anthony Okemmiri 16 Austine Obaroakpo 18. Tekena Garando
GOALS: Chukwuemeka Obioma 33′ Paul Samson 40′ Fatai Abdullahi 67′
Katsina United
1. Yusuf Mohammad 26. Sanusi Abdulmutalib (Nafiu Ibrahim 61′) 23. Isaac Giwa 4. Usman Bara’u 5. Habib Yakubu 15. Adekunle Adeniyi 19. Boubacar Massaly (Mannir Ubale 61′) 10. Abdulkareem Ahmed 20. Rasheed Ahmed 31. Faisal Sani 25. Atule S Joseph (Samuel Kalu 46′)
Unused Subs
33. Ogar Ajima 3. Shehu Suleiman 24. Nafiu Ibrahim 17. Samuel Kalu 28. Umar Musa Laduwa 11. Mannir Ubale 14. Kabir Janaidu
BOOKED: Sanusi Abdulmutalib, Samuel Kalu
GOAL: Rasheed Ahmed 79′ (P)
