The National Super League (NSL) produced some spectacular performances over the weekend with Nairobi United, Rainbow FC, Mathare United, and Mombasa Stars among the eye-catching performers of round 20.A lot changed over the weekend but one thing remained stagnant, SS Assad prolonged away match struggles, the Ukunda housed club are winless in ten attempts and were made to wait longer when a brace from the rejuvenated Henry Omolo sunk them at the Mpesa Foundation on Sunday.While Assad struggled, Vihiga Bullets were back on track registering their first win in six matches thanks to Lawrence Ouma’s first-half strike that silenced Silibwet Leons in their backyard.##NAJAVA_MECA_7881131##Here are the talking points from Round 20 action. Kajiado must keep up the hunt throughout the gameA 4-2 win made things look comfortable in the end for Rainbow FC as they extended their unbeaten run in the league to three matches taking their tally to a single defeat in ten league games.However, Kajiado gave the newbies plenty to think about after a pretty good start to the match that had the survival-chasing outfit go ahead inside the opening ten minutes.Under the tutelage of former AFC Leopards midfielder Francis Xavier, Kajiado rallied with a display that exemplified the character and style of play they have been developing since he took charge of the team – aggressive, forward-thinking, and strong in one-on-one duels.Kajiado’s next step in their development will be keeping up the intensity of their performance for 90 minutes after instances of lapses in concentration saw them concede two quick games to take the match far from reach.Erick Macharia’s charges (Rainbow), meanwhile, have Steiner Musasia. The youngster is arguably among the most technically gifted footballers at the club, and he put in another display that once again indicated his improving productivity by netting a brace.Ruthless Ochieno takes Gusii apartIt’s Meshack Ochieno’s world and we’re all just living in it. No doubt that is how Gusii’s defense felt as the Mathare United forward scored a quick second-half brace against them to lead Mathare to the biggest win of the campaign.Sunday’s 4-0 dismantling demonstrated there’s simply no stopping Ochieno and Mathare when they’re in the mood to run riot and that’s exactly what they did.With support from the likes of Elli Asieche, Donald Ange, and Pascal Ogweno, the forward was in his element. Patient and composed off the ball, ruthless in attack, and self-assured in defense – the contest became a footballing masterclass with Ochieno the star of the contest to put the Slum Boys joint top of the second-tier standings.NSL: Mathare whip Gusii FC to go joint topMara Sugar keeping feet on the groundMara Sugar are quickly closing the gap between the league lead group and appears to be getting a reputation for beginning Benedict Wanjala’s reign with a huge upset.After earlier struggles, the Millers have appeared arguably even more impressively defying all the odds to break a stubborn Mulembe United at home and take their winning mojo to four games which has placed them in a pole position to fight for promotion as they sit three points behind the automatic rising slots.Silibwet’s leaky defense and blunt striking keep them in the relegation battleSilibwet Leons endured another miserable afternoon on Sunday, suffering a narrow but displeasing 1-0 defeat at the hands of a ruthless and hard-pressing Vihiga Bullets, with the club succumbing to a thirteenth defeat of the season.At the heart of manager Erick Rono’s growing list of problems is a defense that is leaking goals at a concerning rate and a blunt strike force that has scored the least number of goals this term.After twenty games, Silibwet have already conceded 40 times and scored on 14 scenarios. The extent of the problem was on full display against Bullets, with the backline and protecting players caught flat-footed, prone to turnovers, and slow to second phases all too often with a non-creative midfield that had the strikers fail to test Brian Odhiambo in goal and struggle to unlock Bullets’ deep block on numerous occasions.Successful teams more often than not are built on a sturdy defense and, with teams picking up points around them, Silibwet needs to find solutions quickly to take advantage of ‘easy” matches ahead.Tomas Trucha thanks AFC Leopard fans for their support during Ingo derby
