Kiongera hat-trick for KCB sinks Thika United

Paul Mungai Kiongera claimed a hat-trick as a goal-hungry Kenya Commercial Bank overpowered Thika United 3-2 in a high-scoring Kenyan Premier League match at the Thika Municipal Stadium on Saturday.

The bankers have been fighting hard of late to evade the relegation axe and yesterday’s performance took their points tally to 20 points from 21 matches.

The pulsating match that kept the handful of fans in attendance on the edge of their seats saw Kiongera justify his place in the KCB squad by bagging a treble of goals, paying back coach Rishadi Shedu’s decision to stick with him as the main man upfront. The versatile attacker opened his account in the 20th minute before adding the second in the 37th minute. He then completed his hat-trick eight minutes after the interval to take home the match ball.

THIKA FOUGHT BACK

Thika, unfazed by the bankers menacing pace and Kiongera’s predatory instincts, clawed back getting their first goal at the hour mark through Ray Omondi before Mwinyi Kibwana added  the second in the 67th minute to make for an engrossing end to the game but they did not have the required punch that would have earned them a point.

Thika United’s coach Tim Brytte in his post-match comments, blamed his charges for the clumsy display that saw them concede three goas, giving them a Herculean task of clawing back.

“The individual mistakes cost us the game. We are making life very difficult for ourselves,” he lamented.

At the Kisumu County Stadium, Sony Sugar recorded their second win on the bounce as they beat Western Stima 2-0.

The sugar millers were 2-1 winners over AFC Leopards in their last match and yesterday, Samuel Onyango headed in a Justin Monda free-kick to open the scores in the 48th minute before Marwa Chamberi came from the bench  to confirm the win deep in stoppage time.