Sofapaka Pull The Plug On Stima, Sharks Bite Mathare To Top Slum Derby

8th May 2019 - by Louis Kalinga

First half salvo inspires Batoto ba Mungu past visitors as SportPesa Shield winners enjoy bragging rights with tense 3-2 win

Kariobangi Sharks FC players celebrate a goal in their SportPesa Premier League clash at Camp Toyoyo, Nairobi on Saturday, September 15, 2018. PHOTO/Courtesy/Kariobangi Sharks FC

SUMMARY

Seasoned forward Kepha Aswani and John Avire hit the target in the first half to lift Batoto ba Mungu past the power-men and to 56 points on the SPL log, four adrift of champions and leaders Gor Mahia FC ahead of their clash against Chemelil Sugar FC later on in the day
Julius Masaba extended the SportPesa Shield winner's advantage to 3-1 before Cliff Nyakeya set a grandstand finish when he scored Mathare's second in the 72nd
When Alwanga's overhead kick went wide off the mark in time added on, Sharks could celebrate a much needed victory ahead of the SportPesa Shield semis this weekend

NAIROBI, Kenya- Sofapaka FC kept their SportPesa Premier League (SPL) title hopes alive with a handy 2-0 victory over Western Stima FC as Kariobangi Sharks FC snapped a nine-game winless run by edging the thrilling Slum Derby against Mathare United FC 3-2 in Wednesday afternoon action.

Seasoned forward Kepha Aswani and John Avire hit the target in the first half to lift Batoto ba Mungu past the power-men and to 56 points on the SPL log, four adrift of champions and leaders Gor Mahia FC ahead of their clash against Chemelil Sugar FC later on in the day.

At the MISC Kasarani, 2018 SPL Most Valuable Player, Eric Kapaito and SportPesa Cup Golden Boot Winner Duke Abuya gave Sharks a 2-0 advantage before Clifford Alwanga halved the deficit after the break.

Julius Masaba extended the SportPesa Shield winner's advantage to 3-1 before Cliff Nyakeya set a grandstand finish when he scored Mathare's second in the 72nd.

Sharks (38) however, held on to seal victory to climb up to ninth as Mathare (46) remained rooted in fourth.

After shadow boxing on social media, the two neighbouring Nairobi sides stepped into the pristine Kasarani pitch to square it out but the slum derby started in cagey fashion with neither side registering an attempt until the 13th minute when Vincent Wasambo's shot went inches over the Mathare goal.

Sharks began to enjoy the lion's share of possession as the game progressed with star striker Duke Abuya looking the most threatening in the opening quarter.

In the 22nd, Sharks teenager Kevinton Machika put the ball in the back of the net with a neat finish but the referee blew for offside, to the dismay of the few fans in the stands.

The domestic cup holder were however, not to be denied when they broke the deadlock in the 27th after captain Eric Juma did well to find his namesake Kapaito and the forward who has had an interrupted season poked it past Allan Owiny for a 1-0 lead.

Nyakeya, Mathare's top scorer this season, began to see more of the ball when the 2008 champions began pressing for an equaliser and from a free-kick floated in by teammate David Owino in the 38th, his team almost profited when Johnstone Omurwa's headed just over.

Fired over

But their efforts to gain a foothold in the game exposed them to the counter and in the 41st, Juma claimed his second assist of the match when he found Abuya who kept his cool to skip past Omurwa before planting the ball past Owiny for 2-0 in the 41st.

To their credit, Francis Kimanzi's side raced off the blocks when the teams switched sides and five minutes after the break, they pulled one back through Alwanga who headed in a James Kinyanjui cross.

Sensing blood, Alwanga came close again a minute later with another powerful header effort but Brian Bwire in the Sharks goal was aware of the danger to push it out for a corner.

Their foray upfront came at a risk, as Sharks almost cashed in on the breakaway in the 51st only for James Mazembe to inexplicably fire over from six yards with the whole goal to aim at to spare Mathare's blushes.

His coach, William Muluya had seen enough when he withdrew Mazembe eight minutes later to be replaced by new signing Julius Masaba.

Rookie centre-half, Boniface Onyango was the next one to go close and pass up a chance to make it 4-1 to the Sharks when he rattled the crossbar from a free-kick, prompting Kimanzi to make his first switch in the 65th when he hauled off the ineffectual Klinsmann Omulunga for John Mwangi.

His opposite number responded in the same fashion, bringing on speedy winger Harrison Mwendwa in place of youngster Machika.

It was Muluya who got instant reward when his newest man Mwendwa- who famously scored the winner in a 1-0 victory over fellow SPL side Bandari FC to inspire Sharks to SportPesa Cup glory in Tanzania- threaded a great through ball which fellow substitute Masaba rounded the keeper before slotting it into the open net for 3-1 to the winners.

Soon after, Mathare were thrown a lifeline when they were awarded a penalty that Nyakeya rifled home with aplomb to set up a furious finish and nine minutes to full time, they almost completed the comeback when Samuel Olwande's effort from another Kinyanjui delivery went inches wide of the goal.

Mwendwa had an effort in the 85th that sailed over before the pregnant skies opened to drench the stadium in a heavy afternoon downpour as Mathare desperately chased an equaliser.

When Alwanga's overhead kick went wide off the mark in time added on, Sharks could celebrate a much needed victory ahead of the SportPesa Shield semis this weekend.