Relegation threatened Vihiga United inflicted self harm to their survival quest as they failed to hold onto a precious first half lead, allowing Ulinzi Stars to fight back and stage a successful 1-2 comeback in a league match played at ASK Grounds in Nakuru on Friday afternoon.Coming into the match after a comfortable win over Western Stima that thrust them to only point from the safety places, the county funded side were hoping to build on the form that had hit them just at the right moment in the season’s run in. Those optimistic plans were however dealt a harsh rebuttal as the Soldiers dusted themselves after going down to edge the game with two second half goals that compounded Vihiga’s miseries with three games to go before the season wraps up.By the half time break, Vihiga’s game plan was very much intact as they managed to hold onto Stewart Omondi’s 30th minute strike that gave them a narrow one nil advantage.Things started going asunder for the county funded side when Ulinzi’s Ibrahim Shambi restored parity in the game with a strike just one minute past the hour mark after being fed by Alex Masinde.The midfielder sparked Vihiga’s clutch on straws into flames when he completed his brace with just ten minutes left on the clock, Mark Bikokwa providing the assist for the second goal this time round.Shambi’s second goal proved to be the decisive point of the match as he helped Ulinzi turn the game on its head in the second fourty five minutes of the game, the Soldiers bagging back to back wins that lifted them to 9th place on the log after attaining the 40 mark points tally with the win.Ulinzi Stars were reduced to ten men in the 90th minute after Masita Masuta was sent off for the Soldiers but that card did not have any effect as Ulinzi held onto their one goal advantage.With only three games left, Mike Mururi’s charges were left reeling in 16th place on 20 points. As the season rolls into the final stretch, Vihiga will have it all to battle for in the last three games if they are to secure top flight football next season. Stima sit one point ahead of them level on games played.
