NAIROBI, Kenya, July 16- Cameroonian Simon Pierre netted his first goal for Gor Mahia, as the champions stretched their lead to six points, after a 1-0 win over relegation threatened Top Fry Nakuru in a Kenyan Premier League (KPL) match played at Nairobi’s City Stadium Wednesday.
This was a sweet revenge for K’Ogalo after losing 2-0 to the newcomers in the first leg with Pierre scoring the solitary goal in the 8th minute from Erastus Mwaniki’s rebound after he failed to clear Kennedy Opiyo’s free-kick.
With both sides coming from wins over the weekend, K’Ogalo were forced to adjust their squad after missing the services of Ugandan duo Godfrey Walusimbi and Geoffrey Kizito who were replaced by Pierre and Opiyo as well as starting Patrick Oboya upfront for Dan Sserunkuma who is in Denmark for trials.
Top Fry head coach Peter Okidi kept faith with his winning squad against KRA hoping to collect maximum points as they seek to elevate from the relegation zone.
Top Fry failed to utilize their open chances after managing to beat K’Ogalo’s off side trap twice but neither Anthony Nyagor nor Teddy Siwa could find the back of the net as the visitors succumbed to their first defeat after winning four successive games.
Nyangor, could have opened the scoring in the 6th against his former side after Mwaniki broke through from the left to beat Gor’s off-side trap and cut in but Nyagor was too slow to tap in and allow keeper Jerim Onyango who had come out of his line to clear the danger.
Two minutes later, the visitors were punished by Pierre who played in the entire game for the first time after easily slumming the ball past keeper Shaban Odoji when Opiyo’s free-kick rebounded on Mwaniki.
The goal saw Gor take control of the game with Timothy Otieno coming close to double the scores in the 27th when Opiyo looped the ball over the defenders to find him but the former FC Talanta FC player failed to slot in as the ball rolled out to the field of play.
Gor could have gone 2-0 up immediately the second period kicked-off, through Oboya who utilized his pace to sprint on the right just as defender Dennis Sikhai allowed him room to shoot but Odoji repelled for a fruitless corner.
The hosts will blame themselves for not converting their chances in the last-half with Oboya once again going close in the 53rd through a counter attack initiated by Otieno who found the former Harambee Stars forward only for him to blaze wide in front of goal.
Not even Joseph Kariuki could double for Bobby Williamson’s side two minutes later, as he saw his strike hit side netting from Otieno’s long ball.
Top Fry’s best chance to equalise came in the 57th from Mwaniki who once again beat the off side trap to feed Siwa who only needed to loop the ball over Onyango but instead went for power to waste the golden opportunity.
