NAIROBI, Kenya, July 21- AFC Leopards are four points clear at the summit of the Kenya Premier League (KPL) following a 1-0 win over Karuturi Sports as arch rivals Gor Mahia rocked Nairobi’s City Stadium with the biggest win of the season with a 4-0 drubbing of City Stars.
A Victor Ochieng effort in the second half at Mumias Sports Complex saw Leopards climb to 40 points at the top as they sustained their title charge ahead of an explosive clash with third placed 2009 champions Sofapaka in a week.
The icing on the cake of the Saturday fixtures was K’Ogalo turning on the style to register their eighth win of the season under Croat head coach Zdravko Logarusic as their fans poured out of the stadium in song and dance after the 4-0 dismissal of City Stars.
Dan Serunkuma who was signed from their opponents during the June transfer window returned to haunt his former employers with a brace in the tie where Gideon Ochieng, a former Gor tactician saw his side clearly outplayed in all departments.
Serunkuma opened the scoring in the 18th minute slotting the ball past a charging Ronny Kagunzi as defender Nicholas Ochieng scrambled with his colleagues to follow it up on its way in.
He found the net for the second three minutes to the half hour mark after a through pass on the left by Kelvin Omondi which he briskly shot past Kagunzi with his left foot.
He was on the prowl again in the 33rd but Kagunzi was quick off the line to stop the marksman’s momentum before he was tested by a long range Rama Salim’s shot two minutes later that he had to stretch to block it off for a throw in.
City also had their chances with Francis Thairu picking a loose ball in the midfield but the resulting pass to Justus Basweti was wasted as he blasted it on top of the post.
The game went into the breather with the ‘Green Army’ comfortably leading 2-0.
Ten minutes after the restart Gor continued with their aggressive attacking play with Salim floating a fine cross from the right but Serunkuma failed to connect as he shot the ball out for a goal kick.
City substitute George Mwangi who had replaced Thairu wasted a great attempt at goal with only the keeper to beat after a pass from Duncan Owiti at the hour mark.
Salim was on the score sheet two minutes later after he controlled a long pass from an Omondi free kick and breezed past a charging Kagunzi to slot the ball into the empty net.
He almost scored a brace in the 68th after fleeing from his marker but his shot was blocked for a corner by Kagunzi who had a busy day in goal.
The confidence of Logarusic was evident when he did a double substitution in the 74th with the two goal scorers going out for the pair of Edwin Lavasta and Itubu Imbem.
The two picked up where the rested pair had left with Imbem sending in a cross two minutes later in search of Lavasta but Kagunzi pounced on it before he could head it in.
Imbem had a goal disallowed a minute later for offside before Lavasta shot wide after a pass from Omondi shortly after.
Lavasta’s persistence finally paid off when he moved away from his marker and took on a through pass in the box scoring past the charging Kagunzi to seal the three points.
“We lost fairly and have ourselves to blame today, the players panicked throughout the match. We definitely gave the match away to Gor,” said a dejected Ochieng after the match.
“We deserved to win. This victory gives us lots of confidence and are now looking forward to our next fixtures,” an elated Logarusic affirmed.
With Thika United registering a 1-0 win over Muhoroni Youth away in Muhoroni, they scale up to third on 33 dislodging Ulinzi who fell to a similar margin away to Sony Sugar.
Oserian host KCB in the last weekend fixture on Sunday in Naivasha.
Results
Friday
Rangers 1 – 1 Mathare United
Saturday
AFC Leopards 1 – 0 Karuturi Sports
City Stars 0 – 4 Gor Mahia
Muhoroni 0 – 1 Thika United
SonySugar 1 – 0 Ulinzi Stars
Western Stima 2 – 1 Chemelil Sugar
