Kisakah strikes late as Talanta complete comeback over City Stars

Seventeen days since the last league fixture was played to pave way for the international break, normal services resumed as Nairobi City Stars and Talanta FC played out to an entertaining 2-2 draw at the Kasarani Annex Grounds on Tuesday, 20 June, afternoon.

In a commanding position early in the second half thanks to a brace from forward Kevin Etemesi, Nairobi City Stars at the very end, managed to drop the win, allowing a last minute equalizer from December Kisakah after Danson Mumo had converted Talanta's first goal from the penalty spot.

Not even City Stars head coach Nicholas Muyoti would believe the capitulation as he stormed off the pitch, with his players angered by the fact that a nailed on win had turned into the 10th draw of the season.

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Talanta, on the other hand, extended their unbeaten run in the Premieer League to five games, and clear off any relegation scrap.

"Massive credit to the boys for not giving up," Talanta head coach Ken Kenyatta said post-game. "We see this happen in football but this was impressive. Goes a long way to show the attitude we have and showed in the second half."

Peter Opiyo, doing the media duties for City Stars couldn't string in the words to explain the result saying; "Its a tough way to close out the game. The boys just lost concentration in the final minutes and that is something we should make sure doesn't repeat itself. On a positive note however, was Etemesi getting his goals for what has been a decent season for him."

Game Recap.

It would have been unfair to condemn both teams for a slow start, the rust taking a wee bit of time to wear off.

Maybe twenty minutes was enough for the visitors in this case - Nairobi City Stars- to have tested Ken Kenyatta's men as in the 24th minute, the diminutive Andrew Kisilu created the first real chance at goal, smacking his ball straight into the Talanta defence.

Clear as day was Talanta's plan to use rapid counter-attacks, all engineered on the left, and from the duo of Kisakah and Brian Yakhama.

The two, in hindsight, created the team's only opportunities in the first half, one going wide from a freekick, the other falling right into the returning Elvis Ochoro's arms.

Collecting the ball right at the edge of the box inside the 38th minute, Kisilu accounted for a mixture of emotions that followed immediately after he was hacked down and referee Michael Obuya pointing to the penalty spot.

Protestations on one end from the Talanta players and technical bench, hugs and claps from the City Stars contingent.

After a minutes stoppage, stood a calm Etemesi, who coolly placed his kick to his right, sending Kevin Otieno in the opposite direction to see Simba Wa Nairobi take a deserved 1-0 lead at the half.

Going by the first half display, another lazy start to the second half was expected, but this was not the case as Kennedy Onyango, who had missed the team's last fixture, spurned a delightful chance when he headed Samuel Kapen's corner wide off the mark.

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There was a different look with Talanta in the second half as they pressed and moved forward with venom, but it was Muyoti's side again that found the way home as Etemesi, receiving the ball from the left on the turn, spun around to favor a strike with his right foot.

His expertly placed ball fizzed right into the left bottom corner, and there was the former Kangemi All Stars man showing his dancing skills at the corner flag.

2-0, all but dusted right?

Not so soon.

Exactly four minutes after the goal- 68 minutes- the referee gave himself sometime to think about the twin hack-a-man challenge from Ochoro and Onyango on substitute Kevinton Machika inside the box, before awarding another penalty, but this time to Talanta.

A similar outcome was the result as Mumo directed his drive to his left to offer a tad over 20 minutes of nervous action.

Kenyatta's substitutes had done an impressive job, with his opposite number bringing on the duo of James Mazembe and Mohamed Bajaber to put the tie away.

The two combined for a sweeping move that was spurned by Mazembe.

The pressure was building, a nervous Muyoti watching on with his head in his hands as if contemplating what was to happen next.

In acres of space, the ever bright Kisakah found time to engineer the haymaker deep in added time, cutting in the left to lash in a strike that cannoned off the post, the disgust clear from the City Stars bench as they found a way to snatch a draw in the jaws of victory.

STARTING XI.

FC Talanta.

Kevin Otieno, Peter Mungai, George Onyango, Ian Omondi, Samuel Olwande, Castro Ogendo, December Kisakah, Lucas Weitere, Brian Yakhama, Barrack Odhiambo, Jairo Michael.

SUBSTITUTES: James Omusinde, Kevin Mwavali, Erick Shikono, Leon Ombiji, Brian Okoth, Clinton Machaka, Alex Luganji, Kevinton Machika, Danson Mumo.

Nairobi City Stars.

Elvis Ochoro, Edwin Buliba, Kennedy Onyango, Dennis Wanjala, Timothy Muganda, Rooney Kola, Elvis Noor, Andrew Kisilu, Samuel Kapen, Kevin Etemesi, Dennis Oalo.

SUBSTITUTES: Steve Njung'e, Rowland Makati, Calvins Masawa, Newton Ochieng, James Mazembe, Mohamed Bajaber, Clifford Otieno, Anthony Kimani, Levis Barasa.