Kariobangi Sharks ended their wretched three match losing streak with a resounding 3-1 victory over Nzoia Sugar in a Football Kenya Federation Premier League match played at Thika Stadium on Friday afternoon.A brace from a red hot Eric Kapaito and a late goal from Peter Lwasa ensured that Sharks got the job done in the afternoon contest.Heading into the game, Sharks were keen to close off on a high as a top three finish would be very much on the cards if they got the win. Nzoia came into the game assured of a place in next season’s campaign by virtue of unassailable point difference between them and the bottom two places.After a controlled opening ten minutes, the game burst into life just on the stroke of the quarter hour mark when league top scorer Kapaito found himself in the area with no considerable pressure. Facing away from goal with the ball, the striker made a smart turn in the box as he found the back of the net with his 23rd of the season.As the clock ticked, Sharks continued with their total dominance in the game with Nzoia unable to find a response to counter their ascendancy. The only thing missing however for Sharks was the telling final touch that was lacking in front of goal.That could have changed on the stroke of half time when goalkeeper Brian Bwire found Kapaito upfront with one of his pin point deliveries from the back, the striker doing well to bring the ball under his control. Having beaten the keeper with his resulting shot, the striker was unfortunate not to wheel off in celebration as his effort just cannoned off the upright before being hurriedly cleared by the retracting Nzoia defense.Three minutes later, the striker atoned for his misfortune as he tapped in a Julius Masaba cross from close range to bag his brace that gave Sharks some cushion in the game. Completely overrun, Nzoia resorted to just absorbing and limiting pressure as they went into the break trailing by those two goals.Upon second half’s resumption, the script did not change as Sharks picked up from where they left off. The only thing that Nzoia did was making four changes by the start of the second half. Two in the 38th minute and the other pair before the start of the second.Sharks would take control of proceedings up until the last fifteen minutes when the millers sprung into another gear.With ten minutes left on the clock, John Kuol threw a rash elbow challenge on Hillary Simiyu in the danger area when contesting for an aerial ball, leaving the centre referee with no choice but to point to the spot.Simiyu picked himself up and slotted the ball past the keeper’s reach and into the roof to halve his team’s deficit and make for a pulsating end to the game. Despite heaping pressure after being revitalized with the goal, Peter Lwasa broke Nzoia’s resolve as he found the third goal for Sharks with a composed finish in the area after being teed up by Kapaito.That would prove to be the final meaningful moment as Sharks held on to close off the tie with a 3-1 win.”The game was determined by how both teams utilized their chances in front of goal. The first half Sharks used their chances well and in the second half when we dominated and had the most chances, we were unable to utilize. That is the problem we have always had and that is why we find ourselves near the bottom of the log. My job is to try and keep improving the finishing department as that is where we have always lacked,” Ibrahim Shikanda Nzoia Sugar tactician remarkedHis Sharks counterpart was over the moon with praises for his charges following the emphatic outcome “They have been preparing well this whole week in training and the reward was these three points. We had a target of trying to finish in the best position as possible and that is what we are doing in every game up until the season ends,” William Muluya noted
