After a rocky start to the season, Kenya Police head coach Francis Baraza is delighted that his charges have finally found their footing in the top-flight competition.
Baraza spoke after guiding the side to their third win of the season, an outcome that propelled them to the seventh spot on the log with 12 points.
Harambee Stars talisman Elvis Rupia scored a brace to lead the revamped law enforcers to a 2-0 victory over Posta Rangers at Kasarani Annex.
Rupia pounced on a misplaced pass on the quarter-hour mark before converting a spot kick with only five minutes left for the breather.
"I'm pleased that we've returned to winning ways. We started the season on a low note, and it's encouraging to see that we've all agreed to put that behind us and focus on the prize ahead," said Baraza.
"We should have won with a larger margin if we had made the best of the clear chances we had in the match. Overall, it was a good show this afternoon, and we hope to see more of it."
As Baraza heaped praises on his charges for a job well done, his opposite number John Kamau expressed utter disappointment as his squad faltered for the third straight time.
"Maybe it's fatigue but I'm disappointed with the results we've been recording recently. We should note that this is one of the most competitive seasons we have had in recent years and live up to expectations," Kamau said.
“If we continue this way, we may find ourselves struggling in the bottom half of the table when the second leg kicks off and we will have forgotten all the prospects we had for a maiden title," he added.
The Mailmen are now eighth in the league standings with 12 points, the same as Police, but with a lower goal difference.
In the second match at the same stadium, Kakamega Homeboyz drew 1-1 against Bidco United.
Homeboyz tactician John Baraza bemoaned a missed chance to earn maximum away points.
"We had the game under control, but we gave up an easy goal, denying us the opportunity to walk away with all three points," Baraza said.
"It's something we are going to work on when we get back to prepare for our next match. We must learn to never lose concentration during the game.
"Bidco head coach Anthony Akhulia extolled his charges for rallying from behind to secure a crucial point.
“We generally displayed great character in this match but we were not just fortunate enough to convert our chances. We are looking forward to a better result in our next encounter," Akhulia said.
