Karuturi felled in Thika

• Print PDF

Karuturi Sport’s jinxed start to the second leg of the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) continued as they fell 0 – 1 to Thika United in the league match played on Sunday 26 August at the Thika Municipal Stadium.

Under pressure

The visitors, whose squad was badly affected by injuries and illness going into the game, went under much pressure as from the first minute and the pressure saw Victor Majid, played as a makeshift defender, yellow carded in the 10^th minute for a bad tackle on Kepha Aswani.

Aswani then had a goal rightly disallowed for offside by referee Tabitha Wambui in the 19^th minute as the home side piled pressure on Karuturi.

The visitors almost scored an own goal when a clumsy clearance by Mustapha Mohamed sailed just clear for a corner under pressure from the lively Kepha Aswani on 42 minutes but they managed to hold on to their clean sheet going into the break.

Ayuko save

Noah Ayuko saved the day for the visitors on 65 minutes when he punched clear a Kepha Aswani shot for a corner with the visitors’ defence caught napping. However, everything changed on the 86^th minute.

A poor tackle by Mustapha Mohamed on Kepha Aswani won him a yellow card and the home side a free kick from about 35 yards out. Kenyan international Clifford Miheso stepped forward to take it and beat Noah Ayuko with a direct shot.

The win, means Thika United go fourth temporarily (since Ulinzi Stars play on Monday) on 39 points from 23 matches while Karuturi Sport drop to 12^th place with 26 points following KCB’s win over AFC Leopards earlier.