Thika revive survival hopes with shock Gor win

Jacques Tuyisenge and Sosthenes Idah

Gor Mahia striker Jacques Tuyisenge (left) vies for the ball with Thika United defender Sosthenes Idah during their SportPesa Premier League match at Thika Stadium on September 16, 2018. 

Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group

What you need to know:

  • Michael Odongo was the hero for the bottom placed side scoring the lone goal of the match in the 62nnd minute
  • The win takes their tally to 23, four behind 17th placed Wazito and eight away from the play-off position
  • The bottom two teams will be automatically relegated while the 16th placed side will play the third placed side from the National Super League (NSL) in a relegation/promotion playoff

If Thika United needed a fillip in their relegation battle they finally got it on Sunday after stunning champions Gor Mahia 1-0 at the Thika sub county Stadium.

The hosts had gone for 11 matches without a win and a loss would have killed any hopes of avoiding the chop. In the end the win brought back memories of the 1-1 draw between these two sides at City Stadium in 2012 where Thika United denied Gor the title.

Champions Gor Mahia paid the price for absconding training the entire week protesting unpaid August salary and bonuses accumulating to eight matches.

Rookie striker Michael Odongo struck home on 62 minutes to hand Coach Gabriel “Kingi” Njoroge his maiden win on the Thika touchline in a clash watched by Harambee Stars coach Sebastian Migne.

Francis Mustafa thought he had equalized nine minutes to time but the ball didn’t cross the goal line from a Kevin Omondi free kick much to the chagrin of a sizeable Gor Mahia crowd in the stands.

“The players gave their all in this match but it was going to be difficult to prepare for this match without training" complained Gor coach Dylan Kerr in a post-match interview.

His opposite number Njoroge cut a delighted face sending signals of evading the axe at the end of the season.

“The players warmly welcomed me from the look of training during the week, we were heading for a positive result despite playing a side that hasn’t trained, at times a team can win even without training, we had to be cautious,” said the former City Stars and Mathare United coach.

It was a dull affair in the opening quarter with both sides struggling to yield clear-cut chances.

Gor’s Mustafa, combining with Humphrey Mieno in midfield played through Jacques Tuyisenge on 16 minutes but the Rwandese shot wide from close range albeit from an offside position as clearly caught by the first assistant referee Stephen Adeya.

A minute later, Harun Shakava’s lovely pass was met by Wellington Ochieng on the right flank but his attempted pin-point cross was palmed out by Thika goalkeeper Eliud Emase. The resultant corner from Boniface Omondi was headed off target by Charles Momanyi.

Michael Odongo wasted Thika’s first sniff at goal in the 21st minute failing to connect home Zak Matasi’s left-footed cross with only the goalkeeper to beat.

On 35 minutes, Wellington Ochieng’ was denied by the crossbar with a first time right-footed shot after Samuel Onyango had teed him up with a chested knock down.

Three minutes to the break, Wesley Onguso horribly sent his effort from a freekick outside the box wide after Tuyisenge had been brought down by Sosthenes Idah.

Moments after the restart, Gor coach Dylan Kerr made two changes in quick succession; bringing in Bernard Ondiek for Joachim Oluoch and three minutes later introduced Innocent Wafula for Samuel Onyango. Njoroge replied introducing James Kinyanjui and Richard Kang’ethe for Benson Iregi and Haji Mwachoki respectively.

Two minutes after the hour mark, Thika took the lead through Michael Odongo after Peter Odhiambo had punched Michael Mutinda’s long range shot. Odongo pounced on the rebound to guide the ball into the bottom right corner.

The introduction of Kevin Omondi for Boniface Omondi in the 72nd minute yielded no fruit as Thika held on for the win.

Victory for Thika, their third in 22 meetings against Gor and the first since May 27 when they beat Vihiga United by a similar margin takes their points tally to 23, four behind 17th placed Wazito and eight away from the play-off position.

The bottom two teams will be automatically relegated while the 16th placed side will play the third placed side from the National Super League (NSL) in a relegation/promotion playoff.

In other matches played on Saturday, Ulinzi Stars edged Wazito 1-0 at Kericho; Enos Ochieng' securing the win for the soldiers with his first half goal.

At Bukhungu, Kakamega Homeboyz left it late to beat Nzoia Sugar 3-2 while Vihiga United were held to a 1-1 draw by visiting Sony Sugar in Mumias.

SUNDAY RESULTS

Ulinzi Stars 1-0 Wazito (Kericho Green Stadium)

Thika United 1-0 Gor Mahia (Thika Stadium)

Kakamega Homeboyz 3-2 Nzoia Sugar (Bukhungu Stadium)

Vihiga United 1-1 Sony Sugar (Mumias Complex)

Zoo 1-1 Bandari (Kericho Green Stadium)