Farcical scenes marked the end of a finely poised Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKFPL) lunchtime fixture as four-time champions Ulinzi Stars employed every trick on the book to claw back and gain a point from Stanley Okumbi’s majestic Posta Rangers on Friday.Posta led through Brian Marita’s 54th minute strike but Ulinzi Stars, minutes after missing a penalty, bundled the ball in the back of the net deep into injury time to claim a truly hard-fought 1-1 draw.Leading 1-0 with just ten minutes to go, the mailmen were denied all three points as Wamalwa atoned for a missed Ulinzi penalty with literally the last strike of the game.Before the equalizer, centre referee Lucas Odhiambo’s decision to award Ulinzi a penalty in the 79th minute threw the game into chaotic scenes as the Posta unit vehemently protested the decision with two red cards shown to Posta head coach Stanley Okumbi and his assistant Collins ‘Korea’ Omondi with David ‘Cheche’ Ochieng’ shown a yellow card.After all the drama, Kelvin Ouma stepped up to take the penalty against his former side but he ended up missing after pushing his effort to the post.Still, the team failed to hold onto the lead in the dying seconds of the game as Wamalwa capitalized on a moment of lapse to seal the draw leaving Okumbi very frustrated with the officiating.”We have to take the results but the officiating level was really disappointing. It is like the referee already had a fixed mind but we move on,” Okumbi lamented.”It was a tough match and all the credit goes to my boys who showed a massive fighting spirit to get a point in the dying minutes. Consideribg today’s game, I will gladly take the point because our form was also not that good,” Stephen Ocholla delighted in his post match.First HalfPlayed under the scorching 1PM sun, the game promised a cracking show as Ulinzi engaged in second gear right from the onset. However, the Soldier’s early sparks proved just to be that as Posta immediately put that little fire out in next to no time.Before even ten minutes had elapsed, the Stanley Okumbi led men had managed to squeeze the ball into the back of the net after assuming the ascendancy but Brian Marita’s attempt would not count as a legal one as the fourth official raised his flag for an offside call during the goal’s build up.What would ensue in the entire first half then proved just to be an affair of half chances as both sides failed to create anything close to threatening.Rangers dominated possession and bossed proceedings but, as has been their achilles heel this season, could not outrightly utilize their chances.On the 20th minute, Stephen Ocholla and his Ulinzi side would be forced into an early change as the influential Bernard Ongoma was forced off through an injury, Boniface Onyango taking his place in the middle of the park.With open play proving a tough nut to crack, it is Ulinzi who twice came close to stealing the lead through well taken set pieces but an alert Kelvin Opiyo in the Posta goal was not willing to be beaten just yet as he kept out a goal bound header from one of Posta’s former defender Kelvin Ouma.That would prove to be the game’s closest chance as the game went into the break with the deadlock intact.Second HalfSeemingly inspired by the half time team talk, both sides upped the ante in the second half after making a raft of changes to the team.Jackson Dwang replacing Joshua Nyatini for the mailmen as Oscar Wamalwa and Elvis Nandwa came in for Masita Masuta and Kelvin Thairu in the Soldiers’ double change.Wamalwa almost made an instant impact just eight minutes after coming in when he unleashed a shot destined for the bottom corner but once again Opiyo palmed the effort out for a corner to avert the looming danger.It is from the ensuing corner that Posta caught Ulinzi on a superfast counter and that is where the opening goal of the game came from.While Ulinzi had thrown bodies into the box, Brian Marita lurked on the edge of the area and after being the initiator of the counter, the former Tusker man made his way into the box as he tapped into an empty net after neat one two passing with Caleb Olilo to give his side a deserved lead in the 54th minute.They almost doubled their lead just five minutes later but Vincent Wasambo’s low powerful strike just went narrowly wide after having the keeper’s beating.Posta Rangers Starting XIKelvin Opiyo, Dinken Muema, Michael Apudo, Kennedy Odhiambo, David Ochieng’, Bernard Ondiek, Brian Marita, Vincent Wasambo, Chrispinus Onyango, Joshua Nyatini, Caleb Olilo.Substitutes: Adirah Jairus, Miseh Sammy, Victor Majid, Sammy Odero, Steiner Musasia, Cavin Odongo, Jackson Dwang, Victor Ndinya, Eliud LokuwamUlinzi Stars Starting XIJames Saruni, Brian Birgen, Harun Mwale, Muchika Bonventure, Kelvin Ouma, Bernard Ongoma, Clinton Omondi, John Kago, Mark Bikokwa, Kelvin Thairu, Masita Masuta.Substitutes: Ochieng’ Stephen, Peter Wafula, Wilgreg Njoroge, Byron Odiaga, Boniface Onyango, Oscar Wamalwa, Bernard Tindi, Ibrahim Shambi, Elvis Nandwa
