KPL: Gor Mahia dock Bandari as Mathare hit Chemelil

Oscar Wamalwa (right) of Ulinzi Stars battles for the ball with Robert Abonga of Nzoia Sugar during the Kenya Premier League match played at Afraha stadium in Nakuru on November 24,2019.Photo: Kipsang Joseph/Standard

Defending champions Gor Mahia opened up a three-point gap in the Kenya Premier League table after a 2-0 win over Bandari at Mbaraki Sports Club yesterday, in Mombasa.

In Kisumu, Mathare United moved three places up from seventh to joint third in the standings after their emphatic 4-1 win over Chemelil Sugar, while Sofapaka defeated Zoo Kericho 2-1 in Narok.

Ulinzi Stars drew 1-1 with visiting Nzoia Sugar at Nakuru’s Afraha Stadium.

At Mbaraki, Samuel Onyango opened the scoring for Gor in the 45th minute with a low driven strike before the inform Ghanaian striker Francis Afriyie doubled the scores two minutes after the restart with a stunning 20 yard strike.

Steve Polack’s side has now won eight games out of their nine matches (with two games in hand). They only lost to Mathare United, their only domestic defeat this season.

The win pushed Gor Mahia’s points tally to 24, three more than Tusker, who edged Posta Rangers 1-0 courtesy of Timothy Otieno’s goal, his seventh of the campaign.

K’Ogalo had gone two games without an away win at Mbaraki since 2017 and in an attempt to address that unusually poor record, Polack named Samuel Onyango to the starting line-up in place of captain Kenneth Muguna.

The match kicked off on a high with the first real chance coming in the seventh minute when Ivorian Yikpe Ghislain created a yard of space for himself inside the host’s box but drove straight at Dan Otewa, who cleared the ball out for a corner.

Five minutes later, Cliff Kasuti forced Bonface Oluoch into a diving save after Charles Momanyi easily lost the ball in the penalty box.

Timothy Otieno then tried to feed Ghislain with a long chip but Michael Wanyika stood tall, rushing out to clear the ball from the Ivorian toes.

Gor relaxed and grew in confidence as the game progressed and their determination was almost repaid when Ghislain found Clifton Miheso unmarked in the right wing but the former AFC Leopards winger failed to beat Wanyika at the near post.

Moments later, Miheso would turn provider for Ghislain but the West Africa header went wide. Bandari responded with two quick attacks at the half our mark with William Wadri coming close twice, with Oluoch pulling the saves.

Gor were finding it difficult to get behind the docker’s defence but when Onyango did, he scored with his trademark composure.

In Kisumu, Mathare capped a good outing with a 4-1 victory over hosts Chemelil Sugar.

Morgan Oduor , James Kinyanjui, Cliford Alwanga and Daniel Otieno all scored as Salim Babu’s side bounced back to winning ways as Chemelil Sugar recorded their ninth loss of the season.

In Narok, a second half comeback saw Sofapaka edged out Zoo Kericho 2-1.