The race is tight, Pollack says after Stima draw

Gor Mahia Head coach Steve Pollack says his charges must avoid dropping more points if they are to sustain their Kenyan Premier League (KPL) defense.

Following Wednesday’s 1-1 draw against Western Stima, Gor who were humbled 3-1 by Sofapaka in Narok on Saturday wasted an opportunity to go six points clear on the KPL log as the slow down continued.

Poignantly, if rivals Tusker FC win their match in hand, the gap would shrink to a point hence Pollack’s sentiments.

“It’s a very tight race looking at the point difference at the top of the table. We cannot afford to drop points any more if we have to defend this title. I’m confident of a better performance in the remaining games,” Pollack said.

The Briton wants on the same breath has demanded for more discipline by his charges in the forthcoming matches, to avoid unnecessary penalties.

This follows Wednesday’s red card against vice-captain Joash Onyango who recklessly tackled Stima’s youngster Bernard Omalla, to see a straight red card early into the match.

The record KPL champions had to endure almost an hour with 10 men on the pitch, in an ill-tempered match played at Moi Stadium in Kisumu.

“Playing a ma less against a full team for such a long time is not a joke. It drains the entire team and that has to be avoided in the coming games. This goes to the entire team because we don’t want to miss players in the remaining crucial matches,” noted Pollack.

Despite the draw, he hailed winger Boniface Omondi’s effort after replacing Sammy Onyango early in the second half.

“A player who is on the bench will want to prove to the coach that they deserve a starting role when given an opportunity. That’s exactly what Boniface did, he gave his all to the team and I was really pleased with his effort,” observed the tactician.

Pollack is a defining period at K’Ogalo as the club chases a fourth KPL title in a row and their 19 in history, in season where financial crisis has crippled operations at the club.

This, has seen some of the finest players leave Gor from last season, the trend extending to the current campaign including in the recent January window.