• Tusker are unbeaten in their last 12 matches.
• It feels like we have dropped the three points. We played well but the centre referee had a fixed mind-Nyangweso
An exasperated Ulinzi Stars coach Benjamin Nyangweso faulted centre referee Dickens Mimisa for their one-all draw against Tusker yesterday at the Ruaraka grounds.
Tusker came from a goal down to force a share of the spoils but Nyangweso feels that his side would have bagged maximum points were it not for Mimisa’s decision to award Tusker a spot-kick in the second half and a number of incidences which ‘he turned a blind eye on’.
Ulinzi who are unbeaten in their last 15 matches, had taken the lead in the first half through Enosh Ochieng but Timothy Otieno responded for Tusker from the spot in the second half.
Tusker are unbeaten in their last 12 matches.
“It feels like we have dropped the three points. We played well but the centre referee had a fixed mind. He frustrated my players every time they were chasing to win possession and made dubious calls,” lamented the 2010 league winning coach.
Nyangweso further said the absence of Harambee Stars hitman Oscar Wamalwa thickened his plot to shoot down Tusker. Wamalwa missed the match through suspension after accumulating five yellow cards.
“Honestly, we felt the absence of Wamalwa, who has been consistent in front of goal. He combines well with Ochieng upfront but the latter played well as the lone forward,” added Nyangweso
On the other hand, Tusker head coach Robert Matano rued the absence of his midfield maestros, Humphrey Mieno and Hashim Sempala. Matano was forced to throw in Apollo Otieno and Kevin Okoth to fill in the voids left by their experienced teammates.
Sempala was suspended for the match for picking five yellow cards while Mieno is away on trials in Oman.
“We missed the services of Sempala and Mieno in midfield. They make the best pair and I had to go for relatively inexperienced replacements. We did not play well but we will seek to correct the mistakes we had in the match,” said Matano.
The home side, who were seeking to scale to the apex, pressed the gas pedal from the onset, making in-roads in the congested Ulinzi defence which thwarted all their first-half attempts.
A golden boot-chasing Otieno was a thorn in the flesh of the soldiers with his runs in the final third, combining well with the duo of Brian Marita and Luke Namanda.
The three forwards tested Jacktone Odhiambo severally but the veteran shot-stopper proved equal to the challenge.
Equally, Ulinzi created a handful of chances and deservedly took the lead in the dying minutes of the first half through Ochieng, who plundered home from close range after Daniel Waweru picked him with a well-weighted pass.
Otieno made amends to the chances he flapped in the first half, restoring parity from the spot after Odhiambo had tripped him in the area. The goal took his tally to 11.
Tusker remain third with 38 points same as second-placed Gor Mahia and one shy of league leaders Kakamega Homeboyz while Ulinzi cemented fourth place with 35points.