Remo Stars defence refused to blink as Heartland threw every attacking arsenal at them in Owerri on Tuesday in one of the MatchDay 22 fixtures of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).
The nil all draw was an outcome that impressed the Ikenne side’s head coach, Gbenga Ogunbote so much that he didn’t hesitate to hail the performance of the players.
The Sky Blue Stars had won the reverse fixture 3-0 on Matchday 2 in Ikenne but they adopted a cautious approach in Owerri to ensure they at least, shared the points that has consolidated their fourth spot on the table with 36 points. 
Ogunbote in a chat with www.npfl.ng disclosed that he was aware his team was in for a tough game and so detailed his defenders to be alert throughout the game to ensure they have possession of the first and the second balls in their goal area.
“It was a tough game for me to be honest. I expected the tensed atmosphere because of their position in the league table and I prepared my boys for that,” Ogunbote told www.npfl.ng.
“We tried to soak the pressure in the early part of the game and depended on counter attacking to hit them on fast breaks. I told my players to be cautious and take the game easy. We didn’t want to lose the game. I’m happy they played to instructions. We could have won the game had we pushed ourselves a little.
“It was a tough game. We had to give all that we had in the game. I must congratulate the players for their fighting spirit and the commitment they showed from the beginning to the end.”
Ogunbote who has had stints as Manager at Sunshine Stars and Enyimba was not happy with the condition of the turf at Dan Anyiam Stadium and asked the owners of the club to ensure it is put in order so that it won’t continue to affect their getting good results before their fans. 
Ogunbote said that the poor state of the turf made him to inform his players to adopt a cautious approach to avoid needless injuries.
“The stadium’s pitch was a letdown from the time we trained on it before the game. The pitch is not making them to play good football. They need to work on it if they are to start enjoying their home games,” Ogunbote remarked.
Meanwhile back to the game, Heartland with mostly new players were uncoordinated in the final third and they had some careless moments in defence that could have cost them the game.
What does this mean? 
Heartland continued to remain at the bottom of the table with 21 points from 22 games while Remo Stars held on to the fourth spot with 36 points.
What’s next?
Heartland will travel to Uyo to play Dakkada on Saturday date while Remo Stars are going on another away game against Nasarawa United at the New Jos Stadium, Jos. 

  Gbenga Ogunbote, Heartland FC, NPFL, NPFL22, Owerri, Remo Stars