Rivers United technical manager Finidi George believes his team can take important lessons from their 2-1 loss to Bendel Insurance as they turn their attention to Sunday’s major Nigeria Premier Football League clash with Rangers International.

Unbeaten sequence halted in Benin City

The setback against Bendel Insurance in Benin City brought Rivers United’s nine-game unbeaten streak to an end and prevented them from extending their advantage at the summit of the NPFL standings.

While disappointed by the result, Finidi feels the defeat can help his squad identify and correct the errors that proved costly before their next fixture.

• Rivers United were beaten 2-1 by Bendel Insurance.
• The result ended a run of nine matches without defeat.
• The Port Harcourt club missed the chance to reinforce their place at the top of the league.

Finidi highlights costly loss of possession

The Pride of Rivers conceded after giving the ball away in a dangerous position, allowing Bendel Insurance to break forward and make the opportunity count. Finidi said his players were not sufficiently careful in possession.

“We were a bit carried away,” Finidi said. He explained that the player involved should have moved the ball towards the corner and looked to keep possession rather than trying to beat his marker with a dribble.

“But he tried to dribble and threw down, lost the ball and they got that break,” the former Super Eagles coach added.

Defensive response also questioned

Finidi said the issue did not end with the turnover, insisting Rivers United also failed to recover into a proper defensive shape as Bendel Insurance found the space required to create their decisive move.

“We didn’t defend well as a unit and then there was opening for that two pass and then it was a clinical finish,” he said.

Despite the frustration of the defeat, Finidi recognised Bendel Insurance’s role in the contest and their clinical use of the chance presented to them.

Rangers visit carries added significance

Rivers United now have a demanding assignment when Rangers arrive in Port Harcourt on Sunday, November 1.

The meeting is set to be a significant examination for both teams, with recent history adding extra edge to the fixture.

• Rangers edged Rivers United to the league championship last season.
• Rivers United later knocked the Enugu side out of the President Federation Cup.