Gor dispatch Thika to restore huge gap at the summit
Gor Mahia restored their 12-point advantage at the summit of the Kenyan Premier League table with a 2-0 win over a battling Thika United at Nairobi City Stadium on Wednesday.
Ugandan winger Godfrey Walusumbi and Michael Olunga scored after the interval to guarantee K’Ogalo victory.
Sofapaka had on Tuesday evening closed the gap on Gor Mahia to nine points with a 1-0 win over Chemelil Sugar.
In Kisumu, Western Stima and Mathare United shared the spoils after fighting to a one all draw, while in Mombasa hosts Bandari snatched a vital 1-0 win over Ushuru. Mathare raced to a 55th minute lead via Andrew Tololwa but the power men clawed back deep in stoppage time through Baron Oketch’s effort.
The match between Sony Sugar and Muhoroni Youth in Muhoroni ended scoreless.
At Nakuru’s Afraha Stadium, Joseph Sakwa gave Nairobi City Stars an early lead, but Bebeto Bnamba salvaged a point for All Stars with a 58th minute goal.
In another match played at the same venue, Tusker came from a goal down to settle for a one-all draw with Ulinzi Stars in a close contest.
Tusker defender Jockin Atudo gifted the soldiers with a sixth minute goal when he deflected John Nairuka’s corner into his own net.
STORMY START
Francis Kimanzi’s charges were made to wait until the 78th minute to level the scores when Kevin Kimani corner kick flew straight into the net.
The match at City Stadium got off to a stormy start with Olunga and Walusimbi going close.
It was however until the 63rd when K’Ogalo opened the scoring through a Walusimbi volley inside the box.
Olunga, who had been a constant thorn in Thika United’s flesh, then secured victory in the 75th minute with a low header that took his season’s goal tally to 12.
“I’m happy to win and get three points against an opponent who is always difficult to play against. Our focus is now in the next game,” Gor Mahia coach Frank Nuttall said.
Thika skipper, Dennis Odhiambo, however laid blame on the match officials for his team’s loss.
“They (Gor Mahia) are being assisted by the referees, we are waiting to see how far they will go in Cecafa,” he said in reference to Gor Mahia’s forthcoming Kagame Cecafa Club Championship campaign from next week in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.