Mathare United midfielder Brian ‘Rio’ Ochieng has revealed that the tactics that worked in overcoming Kenya Police FC were to minimise mistakes and frustrate them on the ball.Paul Kinyanjui’s second-half goal at the death was the difference as the Slum Boys edged Police 1-0 on Thursday afternoon at Dandora Stadium.Mathare’s triumph broke the Law Enforcers’ 13-game unbeaten streak that had sent Police to the top of the table standings.Patrick Odhiambo on why KCB have struggled recentlyOchieng notes that during their pre-match pep talk, head coach John Kamau instructed them to make as few mistakes as possible because Police are brutal, and avoiding mistakes would prevent them from conceding.”We knew Police were ruthless, and any slight mistake was punishable; thus, we had to minimise our flaws in order to avoid conceding, which I am glad worked,” he explained.The former KCB captain, who was making his first start for Mathare since switching teams a fortnight ago, adds that they planned to hold the majority of possession, which he attributes to Police’s strength, and therefore frustrate their opponents.##NAJAVA_MECA_8726900##”The coach encouraged us to keep the majority of ball possession, which is also Police’s strong point. We simply followed the coach’s instructions, which is why we were able to carry the day,” Ochieng added.The defensive midfielder believes the win would improve their confidence in their quest to retain their league status. Though they are not out of the woods yet, the win lifted the 2008 Premier League champions to 12th in the league standings with 25 points, six above the danger zone and three away from a Promotion/Relegation Playoff spot.How former Kariobangi Sharks winger intends to cure language barrier in France”The win is a big motivation to the team heading into the coming fixtures and subsequently in surging to safety from the relegation battle,” says Ochieng.Mathare will try to build on their Police victory and make it two in a row when they face KCB FC in a rescheduled league match on Wednesday 26 February.
