The 2014 Premier League season resumed from the World Cup break with Kano Pillars having its long unbeaten run ended in Port-harcourt and Enyimba losing in a dress rehearsal of its Federation Cup semi-final.

Defending league champions Pillars had gone 10 games without defeat ahead of its trip to Port-harcourt but an Emem Eduok goal midway through the first half gave Dolphins the lead.

The hosts blistering start to the match was almost rewarded again minutes later only for Kano Pillars goalkeeper Appollos Theophilous to react quicker than Ebube Okpokwu of Dolphins and keep out a goal-bound effort.

Pillars failed to muster any real threat on goal through the match and Dolphins held on for a win which takes it up two places to seventh on the league table with 30 points.

The Port-harcourt side is now four points behind Pillars, which maintained its lead on the league table with 34 points despite the loss.

Meanwhile at the Rwang Pam stadium in Jos, a ninth minute header from Ocheme Edoh was enough to give Giwa FC a 1-0 win over Enyimba and maintain the Jos team’s decent first-ever campaign in the top flight.

Giwa FC is now fourth on the table with 31 points while 2013 runners-up Enyimba fell five places to 10th with 29 points as a result of the loss against a team it will face again in a Fed. Cup semi-final in Abuja on Thursday.

Elsewhere, Tombara Tiongoli goal after 20 seconds gave Bayelsa United a 1-0 win over Crown FC in Benin while early second half goals from Emeka Eze and Osagona Ighodaro with his 10th of the season gave Rangers a 2-0 win over El-Kanemi Warriors in Enugu.

Sharks had a Brown Brena goal ruled out for offside in a 1-0 loss to Akwa United, with Ini Akpan scoring the winner for the home side in the 17th minute while Gbolahan Salami scored a stoppage time penalty to give Warri Wolves a 1-0 win over Kaduna United.