CBL GOTW: Ekhosuehi hat-trick secures win for The Lab in seven-goal thriller

The Lab FC 4 – 3 DoMa Giants FC

Man of the Match: Matthew Ekhosuehi

Mayfield United played host to an enthralling encounter in the Grandon’s Toyota CBL Premier Division, one in which The Lab scored a stunning late winner to secure a 4-3 victory over DoMa Giants, a victory which was headlined by a hat-trick from Matthew Ekhosuehi, writes Donncha Noonan.

It didn’t take long for the frontman to notch his first, as he gave his side the lead after nine minutes. Stephen Folasade led a counter attack for The Lab, breaking through the middle before slipping a ball in behind the defence for Ekhosuehi. He latched onto it and guided a low shot under the keeper to get The Lab off to a good start.

Their lead wasn’t safe though as DoMa Giants fought back and found an equaliser in the twenty-ninth minute. Kaique Capecci Alves received back his throw in and dinked the ball to Charles Martins in midfield. He took a touch and fired an extraordinary long range effort flying into the top left corner to bring the game level.

The Lab weren’t phased though and they retook the lead on the stroke of half time. They won a free kick just on the edge of the box, and Stephen Folasade stepped up to take it. He fired a brilliant effort over the wall and into the top right corner to put his side a goal to the good going into the break.

Folasade’s strike was the last action of the half as it brought to a close what was an entertaining first period, one that concluded with The Lab having a one-goal advantage.

DoMa Giants started the half fast and grabbed an equaliser a minute in. A scramble after a corner caused mayhem in the box. It was eventually half cleared but only to Marcos Aurelio who lofted the ball back into the box. It found the outstretched foot of Rafael Machado Felippe who poked it home to once again tie up the game.

It took some time for the second half to really get going again after that, but it was Ekhosuehi’s second goal of the game that opened the game back up in the sixtieth minute. A close range effort from Jatula cannoned off of a DoMa Giant arm, which led to the referee pointing to the spot. Ekhosuehi stepped up and powered the penalty down the middle to take the lead yet again.

There was yet another turn in the game just two minutes later, as DoMa Giants equalised for the third time. A well-delivered corner was flicked on at the front post by Thiago, which allowed the oncoming Marcos Aurelio to turn it home at the back stick to add another twist to this insane game.

The final turn came with five minutes to play, with perhaps the best goal of the lot. A long drop kick from keeper Adam Collins made it on top of the DoMa Giants defence. It bounced in front of the chasing Ekhosuehi at the edge of the box, before he unleashed a Paulo di Canio esque volley that flew into the bottom left corner to capture all three points for his side late on.

That would do it for what was an insanely dramatic game that really could’ve gone either way, but a bit of magic from Matthew Ekhosuehi grabbed the win for The Lab to add three points to their tally for this Grandon’s Toyota CBL Premier Division season.

The Lab FC: A. Collins, D. Ojiekhudu, M. Awobimpe, N. Traore, C. O’Leary, B. De Sa Menezes, C. Sorensen, C. Power, O. Jatula, S. Folasade, M. Ekhosuehi, T. McCarthy, R. Olutu, J. Onyemachi, V. Kimani, F. Lahadjo, J. Marsh.

DoMa Giants: D. Sikora, S. Moraes, R. Machado Felippe, C. Martins, W. Gabriel Do Nascimento, D. Soeiro Lopes, F. Ramos Cordeiro, K. Capecci, T. De Almeida, A. Santos De Oliveira, G. Giovanardi, M. Aurelio, F. Cassiano, M. Fernando Toscaro.