Hannington Ssebwalunyo showed quick-thinking as he struck the rebound after a saved penalty proved the difference in a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Mbarara City.
This was the 6th time we have met and beaten Mbarara City in the StarTimes Uganda Premier League, further cementing our dominance over them. The three points keep our push alive as we continue to battle at the right end of the table. We now sit on 44 points in 5th position.
From the opening whistle, we controlled the tempo at home. We created the first clear chance when Dina Makenga unleashed a thunderous strike that rattled the crossbar, only for Innocent Media to fire the rebound just over the bar. We continued to probe and hit the crossbar again this time Innocent Media before the break.
The second half started with real intent. Just seven minutes in, Makenga was fouled in the box, and Ssebwalunyo stepped up to take the penalty. The keeper guessed correctly and made a strong save, but our number 19 reacted quickest, pouncing on the loose ball to slam home the rebound and give us the lead in the 52nd minute (1-0).
Ssebwalunyo’s goal gave us the perfect platform to manage the game. We stayed compact, restricted Mbarara to very few chances, and continued to threaten on the counter. Joseph Seremba produced a moment of magic in the 73rd minute, gliding past several defenders, only for the woodwork to deny what would have been a sensational second goal.
We then made several substitutions to freshen up the team: James Jarieko, Rashid Kawawa, Pius Obuya, Emmanuel Kulanga, and Samuel Kayongo Ssekamatte all came on and helped us see the game out professionally.In the closing stages, we defended resolutely, dealing with everything Mbarara threw at us and running down the clock to secure a vital clean sheet and three precious points.
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