All Stars hit Murang'a Seal, Heroes, Sacco share the spoils

Kisumu All Stars reaped maximum points at home beating visiting Murang’a Seal 3-0 under sweltering heat of the lake side city of Kisumu.

Elsewhere at the Mbaraki Sports Club Coastal Heroes were held to a one-all-draw by visiting Fortune Sacco.

Alfred Maningi put the hosts ahead via a penalty but Sacco salvaged a point through Dennis Kariuki.

In Kisumu, it was goal galore for the home team, Willis Opondo curling in a free kick from 20 yards out in the 19^th minute to give his side the opener before Denis Ochieng widened the advantage in the 38^th minute – with a glancing header – off a neatly waited pass from the chief destroyer Swaleh Mbaruk to give The Eagles a 2-0 lead at the break.

When Seal thought they could claw back, all their hopes were dashed, defender Brian Marvin scoring an own goal, with just eight-minutes left, as he attempted to clear under pressure a right flank goal-bound cross from All Stars man Billy Owuor.

By and large it was an evenly contested game, Seal missing a number of chances in either side of the half that would have salvaged a point.

Their head coach Vincent Nyaberi however criticized the referees for poor officiating, saying that All Stars' second goal was from an offside position, making a rallying call on the FKF Caretaker Committee to look into the quality of match officials.

“I hail my boys the way they have played; officiating has been an issue. The second goal was scored from an offside position. The level of officiating is deplorable in Kenya.”

He went on: “There is a fight between Murang’a Seal and FKF Caretaker Committee,” he claimed.

Seal will however pinch themselves hard. In the 15^th minute they could have assumed the lead but Wilson Kamau made a horrible miss after breaking clear on the right wing, shrugging off a challenge from his marker and with only All Stars keeper Felix Adoyo to beat, his effort, targeting the bottom right corner, missed the target, much to the relief of the home fans.

Outfoxed for large spells of the second half, Seal chased shadows, safe for sporadic attacks, a chance coming their way again in the 57thimute, through their captain John Kiplagat, a former Gor Mahia man, who however had to contend with disappointment after his effort went inches wide.

“As much as we have won, we didn’t play well; we have a playing style; we haven’t played well…there is a style we’re trying to develop,” George Ondula,  the winning coach, said, adding that the addition of Anthony Nyangor in the second half was meant to hold up play, and that the aim is bag a KPL promotion slot.