Gor Mahia FC head coach Johnathan McKinstry says the league title is now within reach, aiming for four more wins to secure the championship after their hard-fought 1-0 victory over arch-rivals AFC Leopards in the Mashemeji Derby on Sunday at the Nyayo National Stadium.The win widened their lead to nine points at the top with seven games remaining in the season.##NAJAVA_MECA_8046099##The league leaders faced a tough challenge in the derby when goalkeeper Kevin Omondi received a red card midway through the first half, leading them to sacrifice Musa Masika for young keeper Caleb Omondi. Despite this setback, Austin Odhiambo’s first-half goal, largely due to an error by the Ingwe keeper who was caught off guard, secured the crucial victory for Gor Mahia.Even with a numerical disadvantage, Gor Mahia maintained control throughout the game as their opponents struggled to find their form. Ultimately, the Green Army clinched both the points and bragging rights.Gritty Gor edge out Ingwe in dramatic Mashemeji DerbyReflecting on the match, McKinstry expressed confidence in their title defense, emphasizing the significance of the win in their pursuit of a 21st league title. He set a target of four more wins from the remaining seven games to accumulate an unbeatable 69 points.”We take another step forward. Obviously, Police FC are trying to keep up just behind us, nine points behind as they won against Sofapaka. We just have to keep picking up those points – that’s the key for us. We know what our targets are, we know what we want, and I think that 69 points wins the league now,” McKinstry stated.Despite his optimism, McKinstry acknowledged the challenges ahead, particularly facing teams battling relegation such as Muhoroni Youth, Shabana FC, and FC Talanta. He also highlighted the upcoming match against Murang’a Seal FC as a tough encounter, noting the competitiveness of the newcomers.”There are tough games coming up. We are playing teams fighting against relegation and those in the midtable who can be difficult because they have nothing to lose, and that makes it difficult. For example, against Murang’a Seal, a team that likes to play football, I expect a tough game, but we have to keep playing and winning. We have two weeks because of the Mozzart Bet Cup; we will get guys put back together and ready for the next game,” he concluded.Gor Mahia set to land highly-rated Nairobi City Stars attacker
