Gor Mahia slip up

When Gor Mahia beat Chemelil Sugar 2-0 at the weekend for what was coach Frank Nuttall’s first victory as the club coach, the Scotsman was rather modest in his assessment of the outcome.

“From this point, every match will be a battle. It’s still a long way to the end of the season,” Nuttall said at the time.

The coach might as well have been speaking in anticipation of Wednesday’s match against Bandari.

During the match at City Stadium, Gor Mahia dropped two crucial points that would have given them a comfortable cushion at the top of the Kenyan Premier League table after they were frustrated to a barren draw by the dockers.

As result, the league title race has been blown wide open with leaders Gor Mahia, on 48 points, merely two points ahead of second-placed Sofapaka with just five matches remaining.

Tusker, who have a match against Ulinzi Stars on Thursday at Afraha Stadium in Nakuru, will also relish the opportunity to cash in on Gor Mahia’s slip up and bridge the gap.

Victory over the soldiers will move the brewers to 45 points and further exert pressure on K’Ogalo.

Upfront pairing

Gor Mahia will however rue the many chances that came their way which they failed to convert in that match against Bandari.

Nuttall started with the same upfront pairing of Dan Sserunkuma and George ‘Blackberry’ Odhiambo, who were in devastating form in the last match against Chemelil.

However, unlike against the sugar millers, the duo failed to curved out spaces that they so thrive in from Bandari’s back line.

Midway through the first half Gor Mahia got what they thought was a legitimate goal when Godfrey Walusimbi got to the end of Sserunkuma’s through ball to round Bandari goalkeeper Wilson Obungu only for the effort to be ruled offside.

Bandari did well to hold off Gor’s initial onslaught and on a couple of occasions almost sprung a surprise on the break.

On both occasions, Kepha Aswani was the source of danger breaking loose only to fall short with the final ball on one-on-one situations with Jerim Onyango. The dockers stayed put at position on 13 with 27 points from 25 matches.