Western Stima hold Gor Mahia in ill-tempered clash

Gor Mahia Wednesday settled for a 1-1 draw with Western Stima in a Kenyan Premier League match at Moi Stadium, Kisumu.

Both sides finished the match with 10 men in the fiercely contested clash after Joash Onyango (Gor) and Oramchan Villa (Stima) were sent off.

Gor remain top with 45 points from 20 matches while Western Stima are still seventh with 32 points.

“The draw is okay considering we were playing most of the match with 10 men so I’m quite okay with how the boys played after the red card,” said Gor Mahia coach Steven Polack.

“I’m okay with the results as a draw is better than a loss,” said Western Stima coach Salim Babu.

The match was off to a slow start as neither side settled in the early exchanges.

Gor suffered a setback in the 12th minute when their defender Joash Onyango was red carded after hacking down goal-bound teenage sensation Benson Omala.

Polack introduced Joachim Oluoch for Geoffrey Ochieng in the 18th minute in what was a tactical move to counter the numerical disadvantage.

After a goalless first half, K'Ogalo grabbed the lead against the run of play when Cliffton Miheso lobbed Stima goalkeeper John Mwangi in the 52nd minute.

Babu responded by resting Chamberi Wankuru for Henry Onyango tow minutes later. And Stima got the equaliser in the 65th minute through Villa who beat Gor keeper Bonface Oluoch with a low shot.

Stima’s goal irked Gor supporters as they argued that Villa was offside.

“I believe the officials were not fair enough in today’s game but we can do nothing but accept the outcome,” said Polack.

Villa turned from hero to villain when he was sent off for a nasty sliding tackle on Gor midfielder Lawrence Juma.

Gor had a late chance to win the game but Juma shot straight at Mwangi.