Relegation-threatened SportPesa Premier League outfit Posta Rangers offered a perfect illustration of how not to defend against a team with title ambitions as they contrived to give Mathare United the easiest of goals in Machakos yesterday.
The 2008 champions obliged to flirtations of Rangers and romped to a three-goal lead in the opening half to end a run of three games without victory and reclaim third spot behind Gor Mahia and Sofapaka.
A late attempt to comeback from the Rangers was insufficient as Mathare won 3-1. Calamitous defending from Charles Odete set the tone early in the game as the defender turned the ball in his own net 15 minutes into the game. Odete was back peddling under intense pressure from a Mathare onslaught on the left.
Struggling Rangers
His attempted clearance of John Mwangi’s shot went into the net with goalkeeper Eliud Emase unable to react in time to avert the crisis.
Emase was then at fault for launching at and failing to meet Kevin Kimani’s free kick which graciously fell to experienced James Situma with a gaping net. The former Kenyan international headed into an empty net to double Mathare’s lead in the 28th minute.
Rangers struggled to find their footing with most of their clearances and passes ending up on the wrong feet. Their problems were compounded in the 35th minute when Harun Junior directed another easy ball into the net after Posta allowed Henry Juma to head across goal from Kimani’s cross.
Emase was again at the centre of another glaring goalkeeping mistake as he feebly parried Kimani’s corner to Juma’s path.
