Emem Eduok scored all six goals in Port-Harcourt as Dolphins bolstered its chances of finishing the Nigeria Premier League season in a continental spot following a 6-0 demolition of bottom club Nembe City.

Dolphins’ win was one of two high scoring games on matchday 35 of the Premier League, with Stanley Dimgba grabbing an early goal and Gbolahan Salami scoring a brace in the 7-1 thrashing of Crown FC in Warri.

The result in Port-Harcourt pushed Dolphins up to fourth place on the standings with 54 points while Nembe City, with just 28 points from 35 matches, got relegated as a result of Eduok’s heroics in the match.

The Nigerian international scored a hattrick in each half to become the first player ever to score six goal in a league match and take his tally to 19 goals, one short of the longstanding record of 20 goals in a season held by Jude Aneke.

Eduok opened the scoring after 14 minutes with a chipped effort, before adding further goals midway through the first half and on the half-hour mark with a penalty to complete his first half hattrick.

The rampant striker added a fourth four minutes into the second half and wrapped up a stellar performance in front of goal with efforts in the 71st and 77th minute.

Meanwhile in Warri, second placed Wolves maintained the pressure on league leaders Kano Pillars with a 7-1 win which compounded the relegation worries of opponents Crown FC.

Crown’s torrid day in Warri began after only 26 seconds when Dimgba put Wolves ahead with this season’s fastest goal, before Gbolahan Salami benefitted from poor defending to score in the 10th and 14th minute and take his tally to 16 goals this season.

Nedum Francis pulled a goal back for Crown in a frenetic opening to the match which also saw Freedom Omofoman, who was awarded ₦100,000 by NFF President Amaju Pinnick as 6th winner of the LMC Wonder Goal competition, miss two glorious chances to add to Wolves’ tally.

Omofoman eventually made up for his misses by scoring the fifth for Wolves just before half-time, a minute after Oghene Etebo has capitalised on a goalkeeping error to make it 4-1 for Wolves.

Further goals from substitutes Abu Azeez in the 72nd minute and Ifeanyi Ede in the 80th minute sealed a big win for Wolves and saw Crown fall eight points from safety with three matches to go.