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Shabana surrendered a first half lead to settle for a 2-2 draw with St Joseph's Youth in a thrilling National Super League match at Afraha Stadium in Nakuru on Saturday.
The visitors mastered the early exchanges and took the lead in the third minute through Adams Sambili before Salim Akatha drew the hosts level in the 48th. Musa Ismael restored Shabana's lead moments later but Akatha completed his brace to secure a point for the home side.
The result leaves Shabana at eighth place with 34 points from 23 matches while St Joseph's are 17th with 15 points from as many games.
St Joseph's assistant coach Robert Muchele rued missed chances for the draw.
“We anticipated to win and collect maximum points given that we were playing at home but we failed to capitalise on numerous scoring chances we created in the last quarter of the match. Shabana are lucky otherwise on a good day they would have returned home empty-handed,” said Muchele.
Shaban coach Vincent Nyaberi said they did not play well in the second half.
“Lack of concentration saw us concede an easy goal in the second half and this disrupted our playing pattern. I hope to rectify the mistakes when we host Administration Police at home in our next match,” noted Nyaberi.
The Saints should have levelled in the 20th minute through Salim Akatha but his well taken blockbuster inside the danger zone missed the target by inches.
Just before the break, Shabana’s Victor Matete goal-bound shot was cleared by a Saints' defender with goalkeeper Erick Mulagai well beaten.
On resumption, the hosts attacked through the wings and hardly three minutes into the second half Akatha equalised with a powerful volley from the edge of the box.
Nyaberi made one substitution introducing Evans Omoke for Samuel Barasa while St Joseph's recalled Stephen Njoroge and Elvis Onyango for Robert Onyiengo and Joseph Asiala.
The Kisii-based lads were on the driving seat again when Ismael made good use of Enock Momanyi's cross from the left wing to head into the roof of the net.
And with less than four minutes to the final whistle, the Saints forced a share of the spoils when Akatha scored his second.
