Emotional McKinstry heaps praise on Gor Mahia players after domineering victory over Ulinzi Stars

Minutes after centre referee Edward Karia had blown his full-time whistle to confirm the 2-0 win over Ulinzi Stars, Gor Mahia head coach Johnathan McKinstry only had one thing on his mind in the post-match presser towards his players – praise.

Two goals in the opening ten minutes from Austin Odhiambo and John Macharia ensured that they capitalized on Tusker’s 2-1 away loss to Wazito in Muhoroni to jump back to the top of the table where they opened a two-point gap with two games left before the 22/23 season ends.

Advantage Gor Mahia as Tusker stumbles in Muhoroni

The significance of the result that saw them end a three game winless streak (2D 1L) and the manner in which they won by totally outclassing the Soldiers left the Northern Irish tactician a pleased man as he spoke glowingly of his largely inexperienced youngsters who managed to give themselves the advantage in the title race heading into the last two games this season.

“You have heard me say before that this is a young team and results will not always go our way because we are trying to build and I think today, almost in parts of that first half and second half, it makes me a bit emotional because there was a real beauty in some of our play.

It does not happen every week because they are still developing but we know that it is something that is within them.

It is tough when you play for Gor when you want to develop because there you are always under pressure but there was passages of play right there where I do not think I have seen better football and not just in Kenya. Overall, I think it was a good day for us and I am really pleased for the players,” the head coach said.

McKinstry also reserved special praise for Joshua Onyango who had to be patient since January after being dropped for the new signings brought into the club.

“He was a regular in the first half of the season but he is a player who suffered largely from the January transfer window because we signed Emery Bayisenge and Sylvester Owino. He has not played for so long but he came in today and was fantastic which is so hard to do when you have not been playing,” he added.

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Despite Gor Mahia having been seasoned winners in the last decade where they have lifted seven of the last ten titles since, the record champions only have a handful of title winning players within their ranks in captain Philemon Otieno, George ‘Blackberry’ Odhiambo, Boniface Omondi and Geoffrey Ochieng.

K’Ogalo will now face Kakamega Homeboyz and Nairobi City Stars in their last two matches this season.