Gor Mahia hammer Zoo Kericho

Champions Gor Mahia on Thursday ended a five-match winless run with a 4-1 win over visiting Zoo Kericho in a SportPesa Premier League round 33 match at Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos County.

Mike Madoya cancelled out Wesley Onguso’s 16th minute opener for K’Ogalo on 33 minutes, but a goal apiece from Jacques Tuyisenge and Wellington Ochieng inside two minutes gave the champions a 3-1 lead at the break.

Bernard Ondiek combined with Tuyisenge to plant home the fourth goal four minutes after restart as Madoya blew a chance to take his goal tally to 15 seven minutes, before the final whistle with a missed penalty.

“I am confident that I will nail the golden boot although it will be tough but I will put my efforts in the last match however tough the opponents will be,” said Tuyisenge.

Zoo coach Sammy Okoth attributed their 12th defeat this term to a slow start in the game.

“We made changes to our line up but we had a bad start, we tried to make changes in the second and again, it didn’t go our way but we must win the last match to thank our home fans,” said Okoth.

The fixture was more or less a dead rubber for Gor, who lifted the trophy last Sunday in Kisumu after a 2-2 draw with Mathare United, but it was not the case for Rwandese import Tuyisenge, who is chasing his maiden Golden Boot.

Tuyisenge’s strike puts him level on 15 goals with Kariobangi Sharks talisman Eric Kapaito and Elvis Rupia, who joined Power Dynamos of Zambia in midseason from Nzoia Sugar.

Madoya is second on 14 goals with the race now going down to the wire in the final round of matches this Sunday.

Victory however was a reprieve for Dylan Kerr’s charges, who coincidentally last won on the day they sealed the title with six games to spare on August 25 after beating rivals AFC Leopards 2-0 at Kasarani stadium.

Gor, who visit English side Everton in friendly next month, lead the table on 75 points ahead of their final game of this campaign against Tusker, while Zoo, who remain 11th on the table with 41 points, host Sofapaka in Kericho.

Gor started on a bright note forcing the visitors into their own half and it only took quarter-of -an-hour before opening the scoring via Onguso, who finished off Raphael Asudi’s pass.

Joachim Oluoch, who partnered captain of the day Charles Momanyi at the back, had his goal from a Francis Kahata free kick on 29 minutes ruled out for offside.

In the 33rd minute, Nicholas Kipkirui did well to lob the on rushing Gor goalkeeper Shaban Odhoji, but Joachim Oluoch cleared his lines before being dispossessed by Bernard Odhiambo on the far left flank, the latter weighed in a cross that was poked home by a waiting Madoya inside the area.

A lapse in concentration at the back would cost the visitors on 35 minutes, when Tuyisenge tapped in Francis Mustafa’s cross before Wellington Ochieng’ easily headed home Kahata’s free kick from the right flank after the defender had been fouled by Kevin Oduor.

Kerr made a double change on resumption pulling out Cersidy Okeyo and Mustafa for Ernest Wendo and Samuel Onyango, as Zoo coach Sammy Okoth reacted by introducing Duncan Chetambe and Isaac Kipyegon for Nixon Amulundu.

The fresh legs had not dropped sweat before Gor picked up from where they left when Ondiek perfectly converted Tuyisenge pass on 49 minutes.

Zoo, donning their green jerseys pressed on in attempt to reduce the deficit and would’ve got one via Madoya, who blasted wide a penalty on 83 minutes after he had been fouled inside the box by Joachim Oluoch.