Kakamega Homeboyz shoot down Ulinzi

The visiting Kakamega Homeboyz made sure they returned home with maximum points after they gunned down the misfiring Ulinzi Stars 1-0, in a tough SportsPesa Premier league match at Afraha Stadium, Nakuru on Sunday.

Jeremiah Wanjala's first half minute penalty gave Homeboyz the three points.

The unimpressive soldiers should solely blame themselves for losing this match as their attacking formation was not well coordinated and hardly made any dangerous attacks on their opponents goalmouth particularly in the first 45 minutes.

But it was not as if the Mike Mururi charges were any better than the blunt soldiers.

In the 37th minute, Ulinzi Stars defender Brian Birgen handled inside his own box as Homeboyz attacked.

This prompted referee Caroline Wanjala to point to the spot.

Homeboyz's Jeremiah Wanjala stepped forward and sent Ulinzi custodian James Saruni the wrong way to give his side the lead.

On the stroke of half time, Ulinzi Stars' top marksman Stephen Waruru, whose goal scoring magic seems to wilt with every match, wasted a golden opportunity to cancel the lead when his shot sailed over the cross bar.

A seemingly frustrated Ulinzi coach Benjamin Nyangweso recalled Waruru and the equally ineffective Michael Otieno to the bench and replaced them with Enosh Ochieng and Cliff Kasuti.

This substitution changed the pattern of attack as the soldiers unleashed a series of deadly attacks as Homeboyz boys defended their slim lead.

At the hour mark, Kasuti, who had a brilliant afternoon. failed to score with a yawning goal in front of him following a corner kick by Daniel Waweru.

Moments later, Waweru should have equalised but his blockbuster inside the danger zone was deflected for a fruitless corner.

In the 65th minute, it was the turn for Enosh Ochieng to fire wide when his rasping shot missed the target by inches.

And as the soldiers opened more fire, Homeboyz coach Mike Mururi made two quick successive changes and brought on Festo Omukoto and David Okoth for Mike Khaduli and Hedmond Mauda.

This move frustrated Ulinzi Stars as they failed to translate many chances into goals.

Their frustrations saw them turn on Wanjala's decisions, forcing the centre referee to issue two yellow cards to Enosh Ochieng' and Hassan "Rio" Mohammed in the dying moments of the game.

" It was a tough tie and I am happy the boys maintained a tough game character and defended the one goal win to the hilt to make sure we return home with maximum points," said coach Mururi.

On the opposite side, Nyangweso was holed up in a brief crisis meeting with the club chairman Eric Oloo after the final whistle and did not speak to the press preferring to walk straight to the dressing room.