A first half goal by David Gateri has relieved Bidco United’s pressure to register the first win in the 2021/2022 Football Kenya Federation Premier League after the Thika based club beat Mathare United 1-0 at the Kasarani Annex. Bidco had failed to register maximum points from their opening five rounds having drawn thrice and lost the rest, a run of results that had invited pressure on the technical bench to mastermind their first win of the season. The win left coach Anthony Akhulia a relieved man but raised concerns over their lack of cohesion in the team.”It feels good to get our first win of the season although I wasn’t impressed with the way we played. At least the international break will help us work on the weak areas,” he said.While Akhulia was over the moon, Mathare boss Ezekiel Akwana couldn’t hide his frustrations with the loss that meant that they had conceded seven goals in two matches and prior to the game they had lost 6-0 to Kariobangi Sharks at the same venue.”We didn’t play well especially in the first half.We improved from the substitutes made but lacked the cutting edge in the final third,” he said.The play was stopped hardly three minutes after kick off, after Mathare centre back Martin Ongori suffered an injury but was cleared to carry on by medics.The game broke into life at the stroke on half an hour when Gateri tapped the ball into an empty net after Mathare goalkeeper Job Ochieng who was off his line failed to gather a low cross delivered by David Kalama. Prior to the goal the two teams had unsuccessfully rattled each other in search for the opening goal with action concentrated more on the half pitch zone. Mathare left back Norman Ogolla didn’t have a pleasant time in containing the fleet-footed Alex Juma who made runs down on the wing and found his way to the penalty area at will but his final touch let him down. A unmarked Danson Kago would have drawn Mathare level in the 38th minute after the Bidco defense failed to clear a long ball whipped into the area but his touch to the near post went inches wide. Brian Nyakan nearly opened his goal account at Bidco in the final minutes of the first half after he was set up by Gateri in the box but his shot rubbed the far post with Ochieng well beaten. Desperate to inject some experience in his midfield, Akwana introduced the seasoned duo of Chrispinus Oduor and Ali Abondo for Jackson Juma and Kago respectively before restart. Two minutes into the half, the medics were called into action to attend to Ongori who was clipped by Stephen Waruru’s studs while in contention for an aerial ball. Lack of creativity in the Mathare’s side was rife as the team rarely threatened the Bidco backline that had an easy time in tackling the few counterattack moves by the slum boys. With twenty minutes remaining on the clock, Akwana rested Douglas Koech while Akhulia introduced the trio of Derrick Onyango, Nelson Chieta and Lameck Oloo for Juma, Gateri and Waruru who left the pitch on a stretcher after picking an injury. Eight minutes after making the triple change, Akhulia was forced to hand Ezekiel Owade his debut after his first choice goalkeeper Brian Opondo went down unchallenged and subsequently limped off with a suspected muscle cramp. Mathare United XIJob Ochieng, Alphonce Ndonye, Jackson Juma, Norman Ogolla, John Mwangi, Kennedy Ochieng, Martin Ongori, John Kago, Douglas Koech, Martin Nderitu,Victor OdhiamboSubstitutesBryne Omondi, Anthony Otieno, Harun Junior, Crispin Oduor, Victor Ali, Musa Saudi, Eugene Wethuli, Clifford Alwanga, Daniel OtienoCoach Ezekiel AkwanaBidco United XIBrian Opondo, David Kalama, Lambert Otieno, Gabriel Wandera, Kassim Mwinyi, Peter Nzuki, Alex Juma, Jacob Onyango, Brian Nyakan, Stephen Waruru, David Gateri SubstitutesEzekiel Owade, Francis Oduor, Stephen Oriko, Zachariah Gathu, Lameck Oloo, Nelson Chieta, Peter Anyona, Derrick Onyango Coach Anthony Akhulia
