•Two late goals by brewers sees them secure a point against Sofapaka.
• League leaders Gor Mahia draw with Western Stima.
Image: File
A visibly livid Sofapaka coach John Baraza blasted centre referee Andrew Juma following their two all draw yesterday at Kenyatta Stadium Machakos which left them eight points behind Gor Mahia.
Sofapaka were headed for a 2-1 win but Tusker levelled at death through Rodgers Aloro leaving Baraza with a sour perception towards Juma whom he fumed at for allowing the play to continue past the four added minutes.
Known for his calm, the former Kenyan international lost his cool and heavily criticized Juma for his faulty watch and decision to extend the added minutes to seven rather than the four indicated by the fourth official.
So hard to take was the draw by the club's president Elly Kalekwa who confronted Juma for the equalizer. Baraza said: "I am very angry with Juma as by the time Tusker scored time was over. I heard him complain to the fourth official that his watch was faulty and time had really elapsed."
"By the time the corner kick, which led to their goal was, being floated in, play had stretched to the seventh minute. Every detail in football matters a lot and time is very crucial."
His Tusker counterpart Robert Matano seemed satisfied with the point gained which he attributed to a change in style of play at half time. "It was a commendable effort from the boys coming from two goals down it wasn't over until the final whistle. We changed the system in the second half and I am glad it paid dividends."
Umaru Kasumba had given Sofapaka the lead in the third minute before Brian Magonya doubled the lead in the 47th minute. Boniface Muchiri halved Tusker's deficit in the 84th minute.
At the Moi Stadium Kisumu, Gor Mahia failed to bounce back to their winning ways after battling Western Stima to a barren draw.
In other matches played yesterday, Mathare United reaped a massive away win after caging an on-form AFC Leopards 2-0 at Bukhungu Stadium.
Cliff Nyakeya gave the slum boys the lead in the 28th minute to take his goal tally to five in the last three minutes before Klinsmann Omulanga netted in the 38th minute to seal the win.
A succession of missed chances particularly in the first half by the normally reliable William Wadri and Darius Msagha forced Bandari to share the spoils after a goalless stalemate with struggling Posta Rangers.
Bernard Mwalala's side were the better team from the off and should have won the encounter comfortably a fact that was not lost on their coach Mwalala.
"We created several good goal scoring opportunities which on any other day we would have converted. We were not calm as usual in front of goal and that maybe was the difference in a game I thought we should have won," said Mwalala.
The point cemented the dockers hold on third spot as they have 50 points with six matched left to play. Posta coach John Kamau was pleased with his team's resilience even when their backs were against the wall with a team that attacked them relentlessly.
"We defended well as a unit and tried to counterattack I think a point is more or less a fair result and we must now try and build on this in our subsequent games,"said Kamau, whose side are now with 26 points in 15th place two points above the playoff zone occupied by Vihiga United who halted a poor run of form with a 2-1 victory over Chemelil Sugar on Saturday.
Zoo Kericho held a visiting Sony Sugar to a barren draw at the Kericho Green Stadium while Kakamega Homeboyz thrashed Kariobangi Sharks 3-0 at the Moi Stadium Kasarani.
Today,Ulinzi Stars will host Nzoia Sugar at the Afraha Stadium while KCB will tackle Mt Kenya United at the Kenyatta Stadium Machakos.