Tusker FC hat-trick hero, Jesee Were celebrates after netting a goal. PHOTO/Raymond Makhaya
NAIROBI, June 18 – Jesse Were grabbed his second hat-trick of the season as Tusker FC ripped apart GOtv Shield champions, Sofapaka 5-0 in a battle of former Kenyan Premier League champions at Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos on Saturday.
Elsewhere, Joshua Oyoo was on target to help limping Chemelil Sugar end their eight match winless run in a 1-0 win over KCB.
Muhoroni Youth beat Bandari by the same margin while at Nakuru’s Afraha Stadium, Eric Apul and Oscar Wamalwa found the back of the net to hand hosts Ulinzi Stars 2-0 victory over Ushuru.
Newcomers Eugene Asike and winger Noah Wafula completed the rout that saw 10-time champions Tusker beat Batoto Ba Mungu for the first time in three years to climb fourth on 32 points whilst the 2009 winners remained third a point above.
The win also saw Were stretch his lead atop the scorer’s chart to16, just one shy of last year’s Golden Boot winner, Jacob Keli to stay on track of surpassing Allan Wanga’s 21 goal KPL record.
“Today we were better bearing in mind we had three changes so I’m happy with the boys performance since we hardly pick points in Machakos. We are getting better and better.
“I have an offence that wants to score, they work as a team at as you can see they are being rewarded for the hard work,” Tusker head coach, Francis Kimanzi stated after the win.
His opposite number, Sam Timbe who slumped to his second successive loss after last weekend’s 2-0 upset to KCB, was disappointed with result which is the heaviest they have suffered.
“We are not playing well, the pattern has not yet come but I can’t blame them because we are still gelling. After missing the first penalty, the players got demoralised. We have to pull up because this is not a good picture.”
The brewers has a record of seven defeats and six draws before last weekend’s round but they turned on the style to register their biggest victory in the league in years just a week after demolishing Chemeli Sugar 5-1
Were was at the heart of everything that Tusker did hitting the post early on before putting the brewers ahead on 21 minutes when he converted a penalty after Felly Mulumba had handled the ball in the box.
Sofapaka had a great chance to equalize on 34 minutes after Styve Nzigamasabo was brought down in the box but veteran John Baraza saw his penalty saved by Duncan Ochieng in the Tusker goal.
Sofapaka old boy, Asike made it 2-0 on the stroke of halftime with his first goal for the brewers when he expertly guided home a low Kevin Kimani freekick with the Sofapaka defence motionless.
Wafula then made it 3-0 immediately after the restart heading a Joackins Atudo cross past David Okello. They soon made it four on 64 minutes through another Were finish as Tusker ran riot.
Batoto Ba Mungu then missed the second penalty of the game when Ezekiel Odera saw his spot-kick hit the upright and bounce out to further compound their misery.
Were rubbed salt on Sofapaka’s wounds by completing his hatrick in the 75th minute beating Okello with an assured finish after Sofapaka defence again went walkabout.
He had several chances to increase his tally especially in added time when he dribbled past the keeper but was unable to score in front of a yawning net.
