FKF Premier League newbies APS Bomet got a rude welcome to events in the top-tier after suffering a 4-2 defeat to Shabana at Gusii Stadium on Sunday, 21 September.
Bomet, promoted from the National Super League (NSL) last season, trailed as soon as their maiden Premier League game began, showing naivety in an afternoon that saw Shabana forward Brian Michira and the rest of his supporting cast dazzle in front of the home support.
In a contest that brought together Shabana’s steel against the largely unknown quantity of the debutants, experience seemed to take the way early on after the hosts needed only 180 seconds to take the lead.
The opener was crafted from a familiar source in Keith Imbali, whose lofted pass to Austin Odongo fell into the path of Michira to lift over Bob Cetric.
Shabana, sensing the need to take the initiative, doubled the score-line eight minutes later when Michira stepped up with a decisive penalty, moments after Evans Maliachi had handled a teasing cross from Kevin Musamali.
Things went from bad to worse for Michael Nam’s side another eight minutes later, as this time winger Dalphine Omuri was afforded all the time and space to sneak in with the ball from the left, before toe-poking his strike past Cetric for his team’s third.
As far as chastening outings go, Bomet, boasting of a star-studded cast of board members, were being taken to the cleaners, and were forced to reshuffle their pack just six minutes before the half-hour mark.
The changes seemed to bear fruits for a moment, massively helped by Shabana letting their feet of the gas shortly after Michira had blasted a chance for a hat-trick well over the bar.
One moment in the 36th minute swung in the visitor’s favor, however, after winger Enock Wanyama was brought down inside the box by Mark Oduor, and the referee having no option but to point to the penalty spot.
With arguably their first real attempt in front of goal, goalkeeper Bob Cetric stepped up to send Maxwell Mulili in the opposite direction, offering his downbeat side a glimmer of hope as they headed to the break.
The second half saw more of the same stuff from Shabana in an attacking sense, but for a change in the scoreline.
Several attempts came to Michira to round up his hattrick, but all went begging, even as a visibly sturdier Bomet bombed forward on several occasions, almost going close to a second when Duncan Mogasa broke through the right, only for his shot-cum-cross to be gathered by Mulili.
The visitor’s enterprise finally paid with four minutes of regulation remaining, when Hansel Ochieng arrowed a fine free kick into the top-left corner.A nervy scrap to the end was what many expected, but not on a day when Shabana were out to make their statement.
Debutant Derrick Otieno would have the final say, bundling home a rebound after Michira’s low strike had been spilled to his path. Top of the table.
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