Plateau United technical adviser Gbenga Ogunbote has urged his players to improve their finishing after Sunday’s 2-0 victory over Inter Lagos at the New Jos Stadium.
Second-half goals from Gideon Monday and Jibrin Ibrahim secured all three points for the Peace Boys in the matchday six encounter.
Plateau United could have taken control much earlier, but they missed several clear chances before the interval. Ogunbote said the team must become more clinical if they are to ease the pressure in matches.
“I think it is worrisome, no doubt. Every coach wants to win from the first minute of the game, but sometimes anxiety and other factors can affect a team,” Ogunbote told the media after the match.
“In the first half, I think we were wasteful. It has been a problem not only for Plateau United; it is something that affects other clubs too.
“Honestly, we need to work seriously on it so that we can take our chances and, at least, remove pressure from our game. We will keep working on it until we get it right.”
Ogunbote says Plateau United have changed
The result lifted Plateau United into second place, a marked improvement on last season, when the club were involved in a relegation battle before eventually retaining their top-flight status.
Ogunbote believes his side are now more settled and are approaching the campaign with a different purpose.
“They are two different assignments. Last season was a rescue mission; this season is a tournament to make an impact and win laurels,” he said.
“So, we should expect that we have a better team than we had last season. I think it is still a work in progress.”
Plateau United have now gone five league matches without defeat, with three wins and two draws in that sequence.
However, Ogunbote was unwilling to make bold predictions about how long the unbeaten run might continue, insisting that the players must remain focused.
“There is no secret, other than hard work. If there is a level playing ground, everything will go on smoothly,” he stated.
“Maybe we will go unbeaten for a long time, but it is too early to say. The league is a marathon, and we must not get carried away with this result.
“We hope and pray it continues. We hope the supporters will rally around us and keep supporting us. That will give us the confidence to do more.”