Mathare bottle Tusker to remain top at Ruaraka

Mathare United forward Cliff Nyakeya (left) vies for ball with Tusker midfielder Sempala Hashim during their SportPesa Premier League match at Ruaraka grounds on January 12, 2018. PHOTO | SILA KIPLAGAT |

What you need to know:

  • Johnstone Omurwa and James Kinyanjui scored on either half to secure maximum points for the Slum Boys who took their tally to 17.
  • Peter Nzuki pulled one back for the hosts with 11 minutes left but it only turned out to be a mere consolation.

Mathare United stretched their unbeaten run in the SportPesa Premier League to seven matches with a 2-1 win over Tusker at the Ruaraka grounds on Saturday.

Johnstone Omurwa and James Kinyanjui scored on either half to secure maximum points for the Slum Boys who took their tally to 17 points.

Peter Nzuki pulled one back for the hosts with eleven minutes left but it tunred out to be a mere consolation.

Mathare United head coach Francis Kimanzi was elated after the hard-fought win.

"It's very important that we got the three points in a pitch that is very difficult to play football. When you look at the nature of the opposition and the behaviour of the boys under tough conditions then it's very encouraging," said Kimanzi.

His opposite number Robert Matano rued individual mistakes for the loss.

"It is bad losing at home, concentration and poor defending cost us. There was lack of communication in defence and they did not cover each other well. We need to go back to the drawing board and work on our mistakes," observed Matano.

Tusker's plan to get an early goal were dealt a major blow when referee Badir Yassin ignored their penalty appeal in the first minute after Timothy Otieno went down to a challenge from Mathare United custodian Allan Owiny.

On 11 minutes the best chance of the opening quarter fell to Chrispin Oduor who miscued his shot after Kinyanjui had dispossessed Sammy Mejja on the left and found him with a cutback.

With both sides struggling to settle into the match, it was the Slum Boys who went ahead on 24 minutes. Kevin Kimani played short a free-kick from the right to Cliff Nyakeya who cleverly flicked the ball into the path of Omurwa. The defender produced a striker's finish, rifling into the roof of the net.

JUMA'S CHANCES

Tusker almost got the leveller seven minutes later but Timothy Otieno's header from Rodgers Aloro's cross hit the bar and David Juma could not beat Owiny from the rebound.

The impressive Kinyanjui thought he had doubled his side's lead shortly after the break when he dispossessed Lloyd Wahome on the left but his shot was comfortably gathered by Tusker custodian Emery Mvuyukure.

On the other end, David Juma missed a golden chance to equalise when one-on-one with Owiny. The forward did well to read a headed back pass from Andrew Juma to Owiny but his attempted lob over the Ugandan keeper came off poorly and the chance was gone.

Matano turned to his bench to add life to his attack throwing Amini Muzerwa and Faraj Ominde into the fray but it was their fellow substitute Boniface Muchiri, who was introduced at the restart, who stood out.

Kinyanjui finally capped a fantastic display with a wonder goal. A constant menace on the left, the enterprising winger left Wahome and Aloro in his wake before finding the top left corner with a venomous drive that gave Emery no chance.

Nzuki halved the deficit with a glancing header after connecting to Mejja's in-swinger from a corner and the brewers upped the tempo for the last 10 minutes.

Kimanzi replied by introducing Harun Junior for Nyakeya and his charges held onto the slim lead to the final whistle.