NAIROBI, Kenya, August 28- Champions Gor Mahia began post Bobby Williamson life with an uninspiring barren stalemate against plucky KCB at Nyayo National Stadium on Thursday.
The Bankers who bid farewell to their talismanic forward and former K’Ogalo favourite, Paul Mungai Kiongera, were worth their point and left the field happier of the two after moving out of the drop zone tied on 19 points but boasting of superior goal difference to Nairobi City Stars a place below in 15th.
The league leaders inched to a two point lead over closest Sofapaka on 40 but with a game in hand over their title rivals at the top as they avoid defeat that would surely have brought out the obituaries to their ability to defend the crown without the wily Scot who quit last weekend in charge.
KCB head coach Rishadi Shedu believes the point will motivate his charges to fight in their remaining seven matches and avoid dropping from the prestigious league.
“It was a really tough match Gor gave everything, our strikers did not beat the offside trap and that made us lose chances. We could have beaten them on the counter attack.
“My aim was to at least get a draw from this match and I’m sure it will give us morale to seek a win from our next two opponents. I have said and I will repeat it again KCB will survive,” the confident Shedu said post match.
Gor interim head coach Frank Ouna on his part added, “We have dropped two points since we were the better side considering we had a number of chances but failed to utilize.
“We have to play and win our game at hand because it doesn’t count for now. Each team is scrapping for points so the boys have to be ready for it. I have to prepare them well and rectify on where we went wrong and focus on Ulinzi.”
The Bankers set the pace rolling with Raymond Murugi racing from the left to shoot from a cute angle but was denied by keeper Jerim Onyango.
Geoffrey Kizito responded in the 18th minute with an indirect free-kick that went over the bar before keeper Zachary Onyango rescued the Ugandan’s cracker from a set piece.
Midfielder Benjamin Chaka could have broke the deadlock 11 minutes later when he picked a long ball to turn defender Harun Shakava round before unleashing a shot that missed the target by inches.
K’Ogalo found an open chance on the stroke of half-time after Dan Sserunkuma fed Timothy Otieno, only for the Harambee Stars new call up to blaze wide in front of goal.
Ouna introduced Simon Mburu for George ‘Black Berry’ Odhiambo in the last period with the midfielder creating various chances but Otieno failed to convert them despite defender Mark Odhiambo’s poor clearance.
Mburu picked Sserunkuma in the 57th who brilliantly took a shot but Onyango did well to deny him before Paul Kiongera’s effort to exit the club on a high to his new Tanzanian side Simba went futile despite combining well with Murugi.
Gor dominated the last 20 minutes with substitute Patrick Oboya coming close in the 84th but miscommunication between him, Shakava and Daniel Onyango saw his header over the bar.
Sserunkuma missed the last chance in the dying embers after Mburu put him through only for the Cranes forward to squander the opportunity that could have seen them open the gap at the top to four points.
