Title race heats up with wins for SC Villa, Vipers
Won penalty: Karisa advancing into the final third against URA. PHOTO by e. chicco
Kampala.
They say refereeing decisions even themselves out over the course of the season.
At Masaka Recreation and Mandela National Stadium, leaders SC Villa and closest pursuers Vipers got key refereeing decisions in their favour on the way to identical 1-0 wins in the Azam Uganda Premier League (AUPL) yesterday.
SC Villa defeated bottom side Masavu courtesy of a Martin Kizza penalty while Erisa Sekisambu also scored via the same route in Vipers’ victory over URA.
“Penalty decisions will always be a point of debate. You take anything at this stage of the season. The boys were a bit down and it was not the best performance but you take the result,” Villa assistant coach Paul Mukatabala opined.
His team were awarded a penalty by referee Aisha Ssemmambo following a handball in the area with the subsequent penalty taken by Kizza amidst protests from Masavu players two minutes to half time.
Villa were then indebted to goalkeeper Samson Kirya for fine save off James Kasibante to secure points that increase to 43 from 21 games.
The tally is four more than second placed Vipers have garnered following Sekisambu’s 40th minute penalty.
“I don’t speak about referees,’ Vipers coach Miguel Da Costa said of referee Habiba Naigaga’s performance. After awarding the penalty for a foul on Milton Karisa, Naigaga waved away a similar appeal for URA after the returning Halid Lwalirwa appeared to make contact with Saidi Kyeyune.
“We came to play against a team with a big stature. They are big players and physical and not easy to play against. We have a more technical game and I told my players to adapt. We suffered a little bit but I’m very proud of my players,” he added of what was otherwise a drab performance from both teams.
Vipers, with 39 points after 20 games, remain five points ahead of fourth placed Kirinya Jinja whose impressive 2-1 away win was overshadowed by the top two teams.
Musa Esenu scored a brace in the result that moves them to within two points of third placed KCCA. The latter’s 18 games are three less than Kirinya- Jinja.
