Ambitious Talanta bag maiden top-flight victory

Football Kenya Federation Premier League debutants FC Talanta have ended the wait for a maiden win in the division after humbling fellow newcomers Vihiga Bullets 2-0 at the Kasarani Annex. Goals from Brian Yakhama and Edwin Lavatsa were enough to give Talanta the three points after opening the season with one all draw against Wazito before recording a similar scoreline in their subsequent duel against KCB. The result leaves Bullets who are yet to celebrate a goal in the league rooted deep at the bottom of the log but doesn’t give coach Evans Mafuta sleepless nights. “We have shown improvements today. We are playing well but the results are not coming forth. It is just a matter of time before we start getting results although there is a lot of pressure to deliver the first win,” said the former Nairobi Stima coach. While Mafuta could not hide his frustrations with the loss, his Talanta counterpart Ken Kenyatta was impressed with his charges for getting their winning mojo back. “I knew we would get our first win in the top flight. We played well and utilized our chances well. My players understand the demands of top flight football,” he said. Kenyatta’s approach of launching long balls into the Bullets area appeared to be working to the script as his towering forwards had an easy time in controlling and penetrating the wall that had shipped in seven goals prior to kick off.Talanta got off the mark in the 11th minute from the spot through Yakhama who send Billy Bukhala the wrong way to net his second goal of the season and his side’s third in the campaign.The Communications Authority of Kenya sponsored club had been awarded the spotkick after Michael Jairo who was terrific on the left wing was brought down in the area in the full glare of centre referee Meshack Omondi.Bullets who struggled to weave their way to the Talanta area nearly leveled matters in the 21st minute but Kelvin Otieno came to the rescue of the hosts, stretching fully to palm Michael Isabwa’s hard drilled shot from a freekick to safety.Isabwa tested the custodian again in a similar fashion in the 37th minute a shot that saw the medics come on to administer first aid after the ball stung the hands.Kenyatta made his first change three minutes into the second half resting the experienced Gershon Likono for Enock Momanyi who was on target against KCB last week.Momanyi will be guilty of not doubling Talanta’s advantage four minutes after coming on, heading straight into Bukhala’s hands from close range after Jairo had picked him with a well weighted cross.In a change aimed at adding more punch to the forward line, Mafuta threw in the duo of Nicholas Masamba ans Godfrey Airo in the 61st minute for Martin Okumu and Vincent Ogola respectively.Talanta would have doubled their lead in the 74th minute through Shela Mandela who was presented with a chance that was easier to score than to miss but the centre half hit straight to the woodwork.Three minutes later, Kenyatta introduced the duo of Edwin Lavatsa and Luis Masika for Jairo and Michael Bodo respectively.It took a minute for Lavatsa to announce himself of the pitch as the former Kenyan international rose high to head Evans Maliachi’s cross to give Talanta the second goal.FC Talanta squadKelvin Otieno Evans MaliachiAlvin OchiengNicodemus MalikaMichael Omondi Vincent Owino Gershon LikonoBrian Yakhama Barrack Odhiambo Michael JairoSubstitutes James OmusindeEugene AmbulwaEdwin Lavatsa Luis MasikaEnock Momanyi Mohamed Coulibally Erick ShikonoKevintom MachikaJuma EdwinVihiga Bullets Billy BukhalaLonny AmadavaNickson KalwaleMophat LuivaCheloti JabolonLucas WaitereKevin Sagida Patrick Okulo Vincent Ogola Martin OkumuMichael IsabwaSubstitutesBernard OtienoKagota RajabMike SimiyuAnthony NaibeiNicholas MasambaGodfrey AiroLucky Musyoki

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