SC Villa keep league title dream alive after beating Kirinya-Jinja SSS

KAMPALA.

Any slip-ups for the three title chasing sides with four games left to the end of this season’s Azam Uganda Premier League (AUPL_ will be fatal.
Record 16-time league champions SC Villa who had chosen that period to lose their league form ended that sliding sequence with a 2-0 home victory over Kirinya-Jinja to keep their title hopes alive.
That result at Masaka Recreation Ground yesterday helped them leapfrog KCCA back into second position on the log with 53 points, two behind leaders Vipers. They had failed to pick maximum points from their previous two games losing 1-0 to Vipers before a 1-all draw in Mbarara.
Their two title rivals had 24 hours earlier also both won and Villa made their intentions clear too by drawing first blood in the eighth minute through Martin Kizza.
Referee Aisha Ssemambo spotted a handball by Allan Drajua in the box as he tried to control the ball with Kizza converting the subsequent penalty as the visitors protested.
“The last game I lost one side was favoured and same thing this time. I won’t reach 50 years while still in the coaching profession because of such decisions. They got a penalty but we should have got one of our own,” fumed Kirinya-Jinja coach Charles Ayieko whose coaching roots trace back to Villa Park.
There were however no complaints about the second goal on 24 minutes with George Ssenkaaba scoring from a rebound after goalkeeper Didi Muhammad parried Allan Kyambadde’s low effort into his path.
“It was not an easy game. Jinja not an easy team to beat because they like to play. But we are telling our boys to fight till the end,” Villa assistant coach Paul Mukatabala noted afterwards.
In Entebbe, Mbarara failed to create daylight between them and the bottom three teams after playing out a 1-all draw with bottom side Masavu in a tense filled encounter.
The result left them with 28 points after 27 games, two ahead of Express and Proline who occupy the other two relegation spots.