Thika beat Ushuru in first leg play-off to give league status a boost

Thika United gave their quest for a slot in the 2018 Kenyan Premier League a massive boost after they overcame National Super League side Ushuru FC  2-1 in the first leg of the play-off at the Thika Sub-County Stadium on Thursday.

The return leg is set for Sunday at the Narok Stadium, where the aggregate winner will confirm a slot in the top-tier league next term, while the losers will contend with a slot in the second-tier league.

Thika finished the league campaign at position 16, while the tax-collectors, Ushuru, finished third in the NSL, earning the nod for the face-off.

Thika had initially challenged the play-off decision by lodging a petition at the Sports Disputes Tribunal, which was thrown out.

And at the Sub County Stadium, the hosts got off the blocks faster when Assad Juma opened the score sheets after 30 minutes only for Hassan Mohamed to make the game even in the 85th minute, in a match also attended by Gatundu South legislator Moses Kuria.

As the game wore on with the scores evenly poised. Nigerian import, Onwudi Chibueze, scored a late dramatic winner to give the milk men the advantage ahead of the second leg.