It was a good revenge for First Bank Football Club of Lagos as the team defeated Union Bank Football of Lagos by three goals to two via penalties in the semi final clash of the Federation's Cup which was played today at the Astro Turf inside the National Stadium, Surulere.
Union Bank Football Club beat First Bank Football Club through penalty kick in the Semi Final of last year's edition of the state Federation's Cup.
Union Bank F.C under the tutelage of former Nigeria's international, Henry Nwosu, were in control of the match in the first half of the encounter which attracted hundreds of soccer fans to the pitch.
Sportsweight.blogspot.com, reports that the match would have been wrap by Union Bank F.C but the players lackadaisical attitude to goal scoring spurred First Bank players to play offencing football and control of the second half but their efforts to score goals was being curtailed.
It was also glaring that the players were not familiar with the Astro turf as many of them complained that they were not mobile on the pitch since they do not train nor play their National Division One League matches on such turf.
At the end of one hundred and twenty minutes of barren draw, the centre referee signalled for penalty kick of which Sheriff Salami, the goalkeeper of First Bank Football Club was the hero of the match saving two penalties to make First Bank F.C scaled through to the final with three goals to two victories.
The Chief Coach of First Bank Football Club, Gabriel Monday, who thanked for his team's feat to qualify for the final, said the Union Bank deserve to win the match because they are much more better than his team, stressing that the victory was God's gift to First Bank having played pretty well in the tournament.
Gabriel informed sportsweight.blogspot.com that his team would have paid for their inability to convert scoring goals in the second half and the extra time but mother luck gave them the ticket to play in the final.
He said the team's technical crew would have to work on the strikers on the need to make use of the opportunities that come their way since goals scoring matters a lot in a football match.
The coach who joined First Bank in 2006, explained that his priority was to win the Federation's Cup making it two times he have won the tournament, stressing that the coaching crew would map out strategy to record a befitting out in the national Federation's Cup.
The Head Coach of Union Bank, Henry Nwosu, blamed his players for failing to convert their goals scoring chances before the end the first half, stressing that they played better than Firs Bank F.C who according to him were lucky to win the crucial match.
Nwosu, said he had informed the players to forget about the defeat and focus on the National Division One League matches as the team's desire is to qualify for the National Premier League having been in the National Division One league for years.
In the second semi final, Eko United beat Idowu Boys Football Club by three goals to One to book a date with First Bank Football Club in the final scheduled for this Sunday at AstroTurf pitch inside the National Stadium, Surulere.
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