Tusker FC bounced back from a very early set back to beat Kenya Police 2-1 at Kasarani on Wednesday as former champions Gor Mahia and Ulinzi Stars played to a barren draw in another FKF Premier League match at the Thika Stadium.
For Tusker, it was a worthy second win on the trot while Ulinzi and Gor both maintained their unbeaten starts to the season with K’Ogalo dropping points for the first time after winning four consecutive matches.
At Kasarani, Tusker were off to a terrible start when they slumped a goal down inside the second minute of the game, but Ibrahim Joshua scored and Shami Kibwana converted a penalty as the brewers claimed maximum points.
“We played very well especially in the first half when we controlled the tempo of the game and moved the ball around well. It was only unfortunate we conceded very early because the players were yet to switch on into the game but all in all the most important thing is the three points,” said Robert Matano, the Tusker FC head coach.
Tusker FC skipper John Macharia all eyes on the ball
Tusker were stunned very early on. Police won a freekick straight from kick off when Daniel Sakari’s initial attempt to clear the ball away from a long ball went awry and he had to stretch out to block Clifton Miheso’s attempted cross for a corner.
The winger took the kick and found Samwel Ndung’u unmarked inside the box, the striker doing the rest and heading the ball beyond Brian Bwire.
But Tusker were relentless despite going down early and kept to their hunt. It took them just three minutes to get their groove on and it was off a well crafted counter attack.
Rodgers Ouma won the ball deep in Tusker’s half, sent Shami Kibwana through. The midfielder put up a sprint on the right before curling in a cross that Ibrahim duly tapped home for his first goal of the season in the league.
From then on it was all Tusker as they pressed Police in their own half, It took countless interventions by skipper Musa Mohammed to keep the brewers at bay especially with Jackson Macharia and Kibwana constantly running strings in midfield.
Erick Kipkirui of Kenya police attempts to drive past Tusker’s Jimmy Mbugua
Tusker thought they had their second when Ibrahim tapped home from a corner, but the referee blew her whistle for a foul.
Despite the disallowed goal, Tusker were smelling blood and they kept attacking.
They had a penalty in the 39th minute when Boniface Muchiri was brought down inside the box as he tried to control a cross from Sakari and the ref whistled straight to the spot. Up stepped Shami and he sent the keeper the wrong way for his second goal in consecutive games.
Police almost equalized a minute to halftime when Miheso took on a snap shot on the volley from 25 yards out, but keeper Bwire made a fantastic save springing to his left to parry the ball away for a corner.
In the second half, Police made changes, bringing in striker John Mark Makwatta to bring life to their forward line.
Makwatta almost made an immediate impact when he took on a shot from the right but it went narrowly wide with Bwire having his area well covered.
Kenya Police defender Musa Mohammed wins the ball ahead of Tusker’s Deogratious Ojok
Police kept the pressure and forced Tusker to play on the back foot. Tusker also made changes, Jackson Macharia and Ibrahim coming off for Deogratious Ojok and John Njuguna. They were forced to make another when Muchiri was brought off injured and was replaced by Lawrence Luvanda.
Twelve minutes to time, Tusker almost put the game to rest when Njuguna delivered a well weighted freekick from the left, but Ojok’s diving header was over.
The home side, Police, kept their ambush at Tusker, but couldn’t crack an equalizer, with their new technical director Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee watching on the sidelines.
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