SUPL: Assistant Referee Osire ‘Shines brighter’ as Vipers Snatch Victory off Kitara
In the late kick off on Thursday night, Vipers SC edged Kitara FC at St Mary’s Stadium Kitende in the game that climaxed match day ten of the Startimes Uganda Premier League.
Under the floodlights of St Mary’s Stadium in Kitende, Bright Anukani netted a brace to complete a dramatic 2-1 comeback for Vipers over resilient Kitara FC. Jude Ssemugabi scored the only goal for Kitara.
Maybe I would have ended in square if Dudu Ramathan header counted but first assistant referee Juma Osire cancelled the late equalizer for a controversial offside call.
In the 11th minute, goalkeeper Jack Komakech found Yunus Ssentamu with a long ball that bounced and beat the defenders finding Ssentamu who ran and curled the ball but went few inches wide from the goal.
Just after surviving Yunus’s one-on-one chance, in the 12th minute, striker Denis Omedi beat his marker with pace to run inside the box and found unmarked Jude Ssemugabi who easily tapped the ball into the back of the net to put the hosts in the lead.
Few minutes later, defender Jasper Aheebwa almost doubled the lead for the visitors but his cross was only denied by the crossbar.
Before the break, in the 42nd minute, Yunus Ssentamu was fouled by Donato Okello inside the box and referee Sabira awarded Vipers a well deserved penalty. Bright Anukani stepped up and scored from the spot sending the goalkeeper the wrong way to equalize.
Into the second half, Vipers continued with the dominancy to hunt for the winning goal and indeed their attacks paid off in the 48th minute when Anukani received tha ball inside the box, with the fast first touch, he slotted the ball past goalkeeper to double the lead and his brace of the day.
The moment of craziness came in the 90th minute when Kitara were awarded a free kick near the box and Living Kabon’s delivery was headed in by Dudu Ramathan and equalized but the assistant referee Juma Osire flagged him offside, a call looked to be wrong.
At fulltime, Vipers secured a hard fought but lucky win over Kitara to go only two points behind table leaders BUL FC.
In the next game, Kitara FC will host Express FC in Masindi on December 12th and the following day, Vipers SC will visit Maroons in Luzira.
Meanwhile, in the early kick off, Gaddafi FC edged UPDF FC 2-1 to get back to winning ways after suffering a humiliating 6-1 defeat to KCCA FC in the previous game.
Thomas Ochungo and Benson Muhindo who scored from the spot helped Gaddafi secure three points while Bright Vuni netted the consolation for UPDF FC.
In the next game, UPDF will host Mbarara City at Bombo on December 11th while Gaddafi will face SC Villa at Wankulukuku on December 13th.
Startimes Uganda Premier League continues on Friday e evening in a long and expected tough rivarly as Express FC hosts SC Villa in Wankulukuku in a rescheduled encounter.
Match day 10 Results and Fixtures.
Tuesday, December 5
•Express 1-1 BUL v
•Bright Stars 1-1 Villa
•Arua Hill 2-2 Wakiso Giants
Wednesday, December 6
•Mbarara City 2-1 KCCA
•Busoga United 1-1 Maroons
•NEC 2-0 URA
Thursday, December 7
•Gaddafi 2-1 UPDF
•Vipers 2-1 Kitara
Friday, December 8 (rescheduled)
•Express Vs Villa – Wankulukuku