Dagoretti based Team Ping have finished third in the ongoing Patrick Oboya Cup after thrashing South B United Sports Academy (SUSA) 3-1 in the third place playoff staged at the Police Band grounds on Saturday.Ping recovered from a slow start to completely outshine the hosts who were enjoying home advantage and even fielded their upcoming players after putting the results beyond reach.The club’s forward Kelvin Sanya who will be named the tournament’s top scorer said they were satisfied with the win and pledged to go for the top prize in the subsequent editions.”Coming all the way from group stages to finish third is not a mean feat. It is a reflection of the hard work we have been putting in as players. It feels good to finish with six goals,” said the 17-year old forward who draws inspiration from Bandari stalwart Abdallah Hassan.The hosts had a sniff at goal in the third minute of the game after Sylvester Mbalu made an electric run on the right wing and delivered a pin point cross that forced Barnabas Ochieng to come off the line and block the ball for a corner.The match was adjourned for two minutes in the fifth minute after a collision between Ping winger Tony Baraza and SUSA goalkeeper Rama Sarayi but the two were cleared to continue after being attended by the medics.Ping took control of the proceedings after the medics left the pitch with the ‘Golden Boot’ chasing Kelvin Sanya and Melvin Macharia threatening the SUSA goalkeeper from the left wing. There were no signs of a goal until SUSA goalkeeper Rama comically conceded in the 16th minute after the headed effort by Pius Omondi slipped through his hands.Gabriel had leaped high to head in a freekick delivered by Lola Nelson.The hosts, while under pressure to restore parity and give the sizeable crowd that was backing them threw everything to the Ping area but couldn’t sneak the ball past Ochieng whose reflexes were equal to the task.SUSA’s efforts to level matters suffered a blow in the 56th minute when December Kisaka plundered home the second goal from close range after the defence failed to clear the ball.Kisaka who was arguably the best player on the pitch capitalized on a lapse on concentration to beat Rama from close range.Three minutes later Sanya put the result beyond the reach of SUSA after striking home the third goal in a well taken freekick just outside the box after he was fouled by a SUSA defender.The goal saw the forward stretch his tally to six goals in the tournament and will certainly walk home with the boot unless a player from MUFYA or Rongai United scores more than five goals in the final on Sunday. Before the match, Sanya was tied on five goals with former Gor Mahia forward Lloyd Khavuchi who turned for Lang’ata FC who did not make it past the group stages.SUSA breathed life into their dying hopes of salvaging at least something from the match when Kelvin Max pulled one back after connecting the ball from a corner kick. Ping who before the goal had thrown in a number of youngsters defended resolutely until the final whistle to wi the game.
