Sharks up third in KPL as Juma completes turnaround

Sharks up third in KPL as Juma completes turnaround

Kariobangi Sharks turned tables on Mathare United with an inspired second half performance as goals from Bolton Omwenga and Masoud Juma saw them complete a 2-1 comeback win at the Kenyatta Stadium, Machakos on Tuesday.

The result sees the Sharks, who endured a stuttering start to life in the Kenyan Premier League (KPL), soar to third in the standings with their second successive win while Mathare remain just two places clear of the relegation zone.

Chrispine Oduor had given Mathare the lead in the first half, but were unable to keep off a rapid Sharks attack in the second stanza. It was a special yet tense match for Sharks Head Coach William Muluya who was leading his team against his former employers for the first time.

“Everyone thought about it, knowing my history with Mathare but I told my players to take it as any other match. There is a lot of improvement and I credit them (players) for fighting back after conceding early. They reacted really well,” Muluya told Citizen Digital.

Mathare’s Francis Kimanzi, who was outwitted by his former Team Manager, looked beyond the defeat as he sought a quick fix to the team that has now won only once in eight KPL matches.

“We have not been consistent and of course you understand we have quite a new team. It is painful after working very hard during training but you have to work with what you have. It was not the best way to be welcomed coming from a ban,” Kimanzi decried.

The first real attempt came in the eighth minute when Patillah Omoto’s shot was punched clear by Mathare’s custodian Levis Opiyo before Sven Yidah missed from a close range from the resulting corner.

Two minutes later Matthew Tayo thought he had put Sharks into the lead, only to see the first assistant referee’s flag raised for offside.

The early battle was in the midfield where both sides quickly closed down the opposition and with neither able to string enough passes, little action was felt on their opposite ends.

Masoud Juma failed to beat Mathare’s skipper George Owino having been released by Elly Asieche from the left channel as the game’s most promising attacking moved died off.

Oduor would then break the deadlock two minutes before the half hour, finishing off a counter attacking move that left goalkeeper John Oyemba exposed.

Juma was quite wasteful, in two consecutive occasions failing to finish Asieche and Omoto through passes, allowing Andrew Juma to easily wrestle off the ball just before pulling he pulled the trigger.

Moments before the break, Chris Ochieng outsprinted Ogweno on the right wing remaining with only Oyemba to beat, but his weak shot was easily collected by the keeper.

At the restart, Muluya withdrew Duke Abuya for Rodgers Omondi as he sought more firepower on the offensive.

Ogweno lost a glorious opportunity to restore parity from the spot, shooting narrowly off-target after teammate Tayo had been hacked down in the penalty area by Juma.

With the game having gone just beyond the hour mark, Tayo picked out an unmarked Bolton with a neat pass and the forward repaid the effort with a cracking shot that came off Opiyo’s hands into the back of the net.

Owino should have restored his side’s lead in the 70th only to shoot wide with Oyemba off his lines.

That opportunity would come to haunt him as Juma (Masoud) struck the winner from a rebound after Omondi had hit the crossbar with a diving header.

Seeking fresh legs, Kimanzi immediately brought on three substitutes at a go; Harrison Mwendwa, David Owino and Ronald Okoth. It prompted a reaction from his counterpart Muluya who introduced Ibrahim Kitawi and Ovella Ochieng to control the game.

Each side created more opportunities to change the scoreline but neither made them count.

Tags:

KPL Mathare United Kariobangi Sharks

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