Wazito have retained their place in the Football Kenya Federation Premier League after winning the promotion/relegation playoff on away goal rule despite losing the second leg 3-2 to Murang’a Seal at the St.Sebastian Park.Wazito had won the first leg 2-1 at Thika Stadium on Thursday last week and needed a draw or a win of any kind in Murang’a to confirm their participation in the top league in the forthcoming season.The Ricardo Badoer-owned club however had to break sweat for it as Murang’a nearly stole it as they won the return leg 3-2 meaning that they have gone down on away goal rule.Shortly after Peter Waweru blasted the final whistle it dawned on Murang’a players on that the result had dampened their hopes of advancing to the next level.The inconsolable players would be seen walking off the pitch with the medals presented by members of the FKF Transition Committee dangling on their necks.While the team struggled to come to terms with the result, the club chairman Robert Macharia directed his frustrations to the Transition Committee members terming the decision to lock the club from playing at their home turf in the first leg as a deliberate move to deny them automatic promotion. Meanwhile, the relieved Wazito players proceeded for a brief meeting after the final whistle and went on console their crestfallen colleagues before leaving the pitch.Wazito backline worked overtime in the initial stages of the match as the hosts camped at their area in search for early goals but lack of precision worked against their plan.Johnstone Omurwa made good use of experience and ability to read the game by making crucial interceptions in the area that kept Wazito in the game.Wazito grew into the game and ate into the dominance of the hosts who enjoyed substantive backing from the hundreds of home fans who had thronged the facility to catch their team play the final game of the season.Murang’a thought they had grabbed the lead in the 21st minute when Erick Balecho kissed the back of the net but the goal could not count as the offside flag was flying high on the right side of the pitch.Wazito custodian Adisa Omar got away with a number of howlers as his indecisiveness while dealing with loose balls and commanding his area added more pressure in their box.A contentious penalty awarded to Murang’a in the 35th minute triggered three minutes of a standoff between Wazito players and the centre referee Waweru Kamau who adjudged Maurice Ojwang to have handled the ball in the area.After calming the situation, Dennis Munyovi stepped up to send Omar the wrong way, giving Murang’a a deserved lead after more than half an hour of unsuccessfull knocking on the Wazito door.The goal came as a consolation to the right back as he missed a late penalty in the first leg played at Thika Stadium on Thursday last week.Munyovi who was best scoring defender in the second tier with twelve goals would grab his second in the game after rifling the ball to his nearest corner in the dying minutes of the first, this as the defence failed to deal with a corner whipped in by Balecho.In a move aimed at injecting spark on the wing, Wazito introduced Ezekiel Otieno for Aziz Okaka who appeared to be struggling with pace in the first half.Curtis Wekesa halved the deficit for Wazito hardly two minutes into the second half as struck a beauty of a freekick fee inches outside the area.Adisa gifted Murang’a the third goal in the 61st minute as he spilled what was an harmless ball on the path of Fabian Adikiny who headed the ball into an empty net.Two minutes after establishing the two-goal cushion, Murang’a brought in the experienced Brian Juma for Salim Akatha whose physique and runs on the left wing were a thorn in the flesh of Wazito left back Swaleh Pamba.A defensive mix up in the Murang’a area allowed Michael Owino to head home the second goal for Wazito in the 83rd minute after Wekesa found him with a well lifted cross.Wazito held on pressure from the hosts in the remaining minutes to retain their place in the top league.Murang’a Seal XIJohn Nduati, Dennis Munyovi, Gedion Were, Peter Kamau, Marvin Brian, Erick Balecho, John Kiplagat, John Mwita, Salim Akatha, Fabian Adikiny, Wilson KamauSubstitutesWilson Mwangi, Humphrey Obino, Kevin Oyim, Omar Rajab, Brian Juma, Ronny Kamutanga, Abou Traore, David Mugai, John Mwangi, Maraka MusaWazito XIOmar Adisa, Maurice Ojwang, Swaleh Pamba, Johnstone Omurwa, Dennis Sikhayi, Brian Musa, Aziz Okaka, Eli Asieche, Hillary Otieno, Curtis Wekesa, Michael OwinoSubstitutesMichael Kalemera, Dennis Nandwa, Elvis Shitambasi, Ezekiel Otieno, Cleophas Oluoch, Levis AdetCentre Referee: David Waweru
