GARDEN CITY PRE-SEASON FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT : MAKALA RESCUES POINT FOR RIVERS UTD

Substitute, Victor Makala's last gasp goal was all Rivers United needed to keep their hopes of making it to the final of the GARDEN City PRE-SEASON football tournament alive as the team snatched a 1-1 draw with rampaging Abia Warriors football club of Umuahia in both teams' second game of the tournament at the Sharks Football club Stadium in Port Harcourt.

The Pride of Rivers were desperate for victory after surprisingly  drawing 2-2 with amateur side, SKE fc in their first game of the tournament and after a goalless first half against the Warriors,  they fell behind in the 57th  minute when Emeka Isaac hammered in from close range to raise the curtains. It was Isaac's second goal in as many games in the tournament.

The goal spurred the hosts into more action as they earned a succession of corner kicks which they failed to capitalise on to draw level.

As the game wore on, and with both sides effecting many substitutions, it was the Warriors who could have killed off the game when Cyril Uduak went clear but his team mates failed to connect his pull out to the chagrin of the Warriors bench.

They were to pay for their profligacy when Makala ghosted past two Abia Warriors defenders in the last minute of the game to beat Agbor Ekoi who had remained magnificent all night for the much needed equaliser.

An argument as per the legitimacy of the goal led to the expulsion of Warriors' defender Ozor Chinedu by the referee.

Abia Warriors still lead the pack with four points from two matches and will need to avoid a defeat in their final game against SKE tomorrow to make it to the final. After holding Rivers United in their first game, SKE lost 2-3 to Cynosure and would require an outright victory against Abia Warriors to stand a mathematical chance of progressing to the final.

For Rivers Utd, they must beat Cynosure who are currently second on the table with three points, to make it to the final as a draw will see them take an early shower in the tournament while their city rivals will progress to the final, reserved only for the top two teams on the table after the round robin games.