Esosa Igbinoba scored twice as Nasarawa United ended their two-game losing streak with a routine 2-0 victory over Warri Wolves at the Aper Aku Stadium in Makurdi.
Nasarawa United took the game to the visitors from the blast of the whistle and within eight minute of the start of the game took the lead through Igbinoba.
Igbinoba placed his header well beyond the reach of Dele Ajiboye in goal for Warri Wolves after he was left unmarked in the box thanks to a well-delivered cross from the right from Thomas Zenke.
The lively Zenke played Tayo Fabiyi through and just when he was about to shoot with the goalkeeper at his mercy, the flag went up for an offside against him.
Warri Wolves barely threatened and were lucky not to be further goal behind when Zenke's curler beat Ajiboye but went inches wide off the bar in the 22nd minute.
Zenke's clever movement bamboozled the backline of Warri Wolves in the 28th minute when he went behind them with ease to meet a clever through pass from Abdulrahman Bashir but his effort on goal went narrowly wide with Ajiboye beaten.
Ishaya Anyu, who was a thorn in the flesh of the visitors, located Fabiyi with a clever ball but the big striker wasted what could easily have been his side second goal with a weak shot straight at Ajiboye.
Fabiyi immediately sought to make amend for the miss by using his pace to beat Kelvin Njoku but once again with Ajiboye at his mercy and a wide open net, he failed to direct his effort beyond the keeper who gathered his ball easily.
Ajiboye, who was at Nasarawa United stood between his former side and a second goal, denying Zenke and Ifeanyi Nweke in quick session to help Warri Wolves go into the break trailing by a lone goal when it could have been more.
The visitors made two quick changes at the start of the second half and seized the initial initiative in the midfield spraying some nice passes which ended with substitute Michael Egbeta hitting a low shot which went narrowly wide.
That scare galvanised Nasarawa United back to life as Zenke crashed the bar with a well hit effort from a sweeping counterattack move with Ajiboye beaten.
In a bid to clear the rebound from Zenke's effort Ossai Uche fouled Philip Azango just on the edge of Warri Wolves box and Igbinoba stepped up to bend the resultant free kick into the net to give his team a well-deserved two-goal lead in the 66th minute.
The rest of the game was played out with the home side stroking the ball around while Warri Wolves struggle to find a reasonable grip of proceedings despite the introduction of Solomon Okpako.
It ended 2-0 in favour of Nasarawa United at their adopted home ground in Makurdi much to the delight of their coach Kabiru Dogo, who has seen his team lost their last two games on the road prior to Sunday's game against Warri Wolves.
