Vipers’ Bayo resumes duty as Bul stutter, Express fall
Frontliners Bayo (C) and Sserunkuma (R) were on the scoresheet as Vipers edged stubborn Bul in Namboole.
PHOTO BY JOHN BATANUDDE
What you need to know:
- The league suffers brunt of heavy weekend rains as games are played in soggy and muddy conditions at Namboole and Wankulukuku, and SC Villa versus URA on Friday has been moved to StarTimes Stadium, Lugogo as Namboole temporarily shuts doors for recovery after last evening’s topflight league engagement.
Vipers SC are soaring four clear at the top of the Star Times Uganda Premier League (SUPL) after maneuvering both through a damp and muddy Namboole and Kyetume’s otherwise solid defence for a 2-1 away victory last evening.
This on a day the closest chasers, Bul, were held to a 1-1 draw by Bright Stars at the Fufa Technical Centre in Njeru.
But it is at damp Namboole surface, where Vipers weaponry of Fahad Bayo and Daniel Sserunkuma were in active duty. They had not operated often enough as a striking partnership in the opening 10 games of the season.
But here, they gave a glimpse of what that partnership can develop into, each scoring as the table leaders stretched the lead by four to 24 points.
Vipers went ahead as early as the fifth minute when top scorer, Bayo, headed home his seventh league goal after Kyetume goalkeeper Joel Mutakubwa misjudged a Bashir Asiku cross.
Sserunkuma then doubled his team’s tally on 14 minutes from the penalty spot after Bayo was brought down by Benon Tahomera.
The Vipers duo were almost at it again five minutes later only for Bayo to fail to beat Mutakubwa after being put through on goal by Sserunkuma.
But Kyetume recollected themselves after the break and pulled a goal back 11 minutes after restart when Halid Lwalirwa failed to clear a cross that fell to Vincent Kayizi, who set up Robert Ssentongo.
At Wankulukuku, Express suffered a third home defeat of the season on an equally an inundated surface as they bowed to Busoga United.
The visitors celebrated their 100th top-flight match since earning promotion in 2015-16 season with forwards Joel Madondo and Boban Zirintusa assisting each other’s strikes in the 15th and 50th minutes.
“We wanted to sum it up with a win and we got it,” said Busoga’s coach Abbey Kikomeko, “The win gives us a good motivation as we take on Vipers in the next game.” The victory moves Busoga one place up to fourth on 16 points, six ahead of 12th-placed Express.
Express coach George Ssimwogerere, whose striker Frank Kalanda had briefly leveled in the 20th minute from 12 yards, appreciated his players’ efforts but blamed the “terrible pitch. We will do better,” he said.
Elsewhere, Ben Ocen and Pius Kaggwa’s second half goals rendered Viane Sekajuogo’s opener irrelevant in Police’s 2-1 victory over Wakiso Giants at Lugogo, while Joseph Janjali struck late to deny second-placed Bul, who had scored through James Otim, maximum points.
