Posta Rangers shoot down high-flying Mathare

Two quick goals in a span of four minutes aided Posta Rangers to a 2-1 win over Kenyan Premier League leaders Mathare United in an entertaining match played at Camp Toyoyo grounds on Sunday.

Kennedy Otieno and Joackins Atudo claimed a goal apiece in the tenth and 14th minute leaving Clifford Alwanga’s 24th minute strike a mere consolation as Mathare suffered their second defeat of the current season.

The 2008 champions however remain top on 23 points, six ahead of Posta Rangers after 11 games.

“I really appreciate the courage and spirit the boys had today playing a very organized team but we knew their strong points and worked on them last week,” Posta coach Sammy “Pamzo” Omollo said after the game.

“We faced a team that has been doing well in the past games and this is a motivating result for us heading into the next game in seven days’ time,” he added.

His counterpart Francis Kimanzi was disappointed with the outcome despite pushing to the end.

“We put in a good fight in the second half but it was too late. We should have done something better earlier but this is past tense and focus shifts to the next match,” he said.

It was the Slum Boys, who had a bright start with Samuel Ndung’u swinging in a cross in the fourth minute that found Clifford Alwanga whose shot was parried by Posta Rangers goalkeeper Patrick Matasi who recollected himself in time to pick Cliff Nyakeya’s rebound.

Posta were unperturbed by the visitors’ start and easily took the lead in the tenth minute through Kennedy Otieno, whose free header from a Luke Ochieng’ trademark long throw sailed into the net with Robert Mboya well beaten.

They doubled the lead four minutes later through Joackins Atudo. The veteran defender rose past Mathare defence to head to the far post John Nairuka’s curved corner kick.

Ndung’u wasted an opportunity to reduce the deficit in the 17th minute failing to tap home Cliff Nyakeya’s dangerous cross from the right flank. In the 22nd minute, former AFC Leopards winger Ndung’u saw his free kick from the edge of the box tipped out by a hawk-eyed Matasi for a fruitless corner.

Two minutes later, Alwanga netted his fifth goal of the campaign to reduce the deficit. Ndung’u, trying to impress on his debut, delivered in a dangerous corner kick that Matasi punched before Alwanga pounced on the loose ball to head home.

Otieno and Atudo were denied by the crossbar as the first half ended in Posta’s favour.

Posta came back re-energized to score more and Jerry Santo would have grabbed the third in the 54th minute, but his glancing header off a Luke Ochieng’ throw in missed the target by a whisker.

Kimanzi introduced Chris Ochieng’ and John Mwangi for Ndung’u and Cliff Nyakeya in the 58th and 62nd minutes respectively as Rangers brought in Danson Kago for the tired legs of Gerson Likono five minutes after the hour mark.