Kenyan Premier League: Tusker ends Zoo's unbeaten run

Tusker FC's Lloyd Wahome (left) and Kepha Ondati of Zoo Kericho FC during KPL match at Ruaraka Grounds on Sunday August 19, 2018.[Jonah Onyango, Standard]

Zoo Kericho goalkeeper Martin Elung’at gifted Boniface Muchiri a match winner for former SportPesa Premier League champions Tusker with a moment he will never forget at Ruaraka Grounds, yesterday.

The important goal of the game came in the 65th minute when Elung’at failed to deal with Muchiri’s  long range feeble shot that eventually ended the visitors’ five game unbeaten run.

In Kakamega, Cavin Odongo scored the lone goal as Posta Rangers inflicted the fourth consecutive defeat on Ulinzi Stars. Vihiga United held Kakamega Homeboyz to a 1-1 draw in the Western derby at Mumias Sports Complex.

It was a great bounce back for fifth placed Tusker and exciting result for coach Robert Matano after their 1-0 defeat to Bandari.

“Muchiri is an extra ordinary player. He does many incredible things on the pitch. We really missed him in our last match, and I am now happy to have him back,” a jubilant Tusker coach Robert Matano spoke of his match winner, who was returning from suspension.

“The boys really wanted to redeem their image after the Bandari defeat and I think they did it well. We came back into the second half more composed, adjusted our approach and changed the tempo. It is my hope, that we will remain consistent until the end of the season.”

But even as Zoo coach Sammy Okoth bemoaned concentration lapse for the defeat, he insisted the result will not be bring them down.

“We are some how disappointed with the result because we were really playing well before we gifted them an easy goal,” said Okoth.

“I don’t want to blame my goalkeeper for the goal, it was just about loss of concentration. We will not allow this defeat to bring us down, we with work on our mistakes and hopefully recover in our next game.”Both teams started the match cautiously, but it is Zoo who threatened first in the fifth minute, but Mike Madoya fluffed his effort before Muchiri shot straight at the keeper on the opposite end.

Enterprising Muchiri then earned free kick for Tusker in a promising position on the half hour mark, but he was superbly denied by the Zoo keeper before he pulled off a double save to punch away Timothy Otieno’s dangerous cross and save Jackson Macharia’s shot.

The brewers came back into the second half a more rejuvenated side, upped the tempo of the game as they pinned the visitors in their own half.

And after a series of raids, Tusker were rewarded in the 65th minute thanks to Elung’at’s goalkeeping blunder.

Six minutes later, the keeper tried to redeem himself with one on one situation save against Otieno before he denied the former Gor Mahia man again in the 79th minute. [Rodgers Eshitemi]