Ikorodu City praised for resilience after dramatic Doma United draw

Ikorodu City assistant coach Washington Egor praised his players’ determination after they secured a 2-2 draw against Doma United in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL).

The Lagos-based side appeared close to claiming victory in their Matchday 11 fixture at Pantami Stadium on Saturday, but a late equaliser from Doma United’s Bitrus Philemon ensured the points were shared.

Doma United moved ahead in the 19th minute when Philemon converted a penalty. Ikorodu City responded quickly, with Tomiwa Awojobi restoring parity five minutes later.

The visitors then looked set to complete a comeback when Ujunwa Elijah put them 2-1 ahead in the 85th minute. However, Philemon scored again deep into stoppage time to rescue a point for the hosts and deny Ikorodu City an away win.

Egor said the performance was particularly encouraging given the demands of the journey to Gombe, with the team travelling by road for almost 24 hours.

“I want to give kudos to the players for showing resilience in the game despite the distance covered in travelling by road to Gombe,” Egor told NPFL media.

“Our intention was to pick the maximum points, but a point is good for our pains.

“Travelling down for almost 24 hours and picking a point far back in the north is a big motivation for us ahead of our next game in Lagos.”

The draw leaves Ikorodu City 11th in the NPFL table, with 14 points from 11 matches.

Although they were unable to hold on for all three points after Elijah’s late goal, the result extended their unbeaten effort on a demanding away trip and gave them a point from their visit to Doma United.

Their attention now turns to a local fixture against Inter Lagos. Ikorodu City will host their rivals in the next league match, with the game set to be a Lagos derby.