An 88th minute penalty converted by returnee Mfon Udoh was all Akwa United needed to beat hard fighting Abia Warriors of Umuahia 1-0 in an inter club friendly game decided at the training pitch of the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo.
Abia Warriors thought they had worked hard enough to secure at least a draw when the centre referee pointed to the spot to the surprise of even the home fans many of whom wondered exactly what happened and Udoh, just back to Uyo after four seasons at Enyimba, stepped forward to dispatch the spot kick with venom to the delight of new Manager, Rafael Everton.
But Abia Warriors would have since buried their hosts if they had not frittered away the numerous opportunities that came their way before the penalty incident.
Warriors manager, Adenrele Moses who was unhappy with the late penalty awarded, lamented the inability of his boys to convert their chances but said the main essence of such friendly matches was to identify such lapses and correct them before the season begins in earnest.
