Gor Mahia coach Johnathan McKinstry happy with three points from defensive Shabana

Gor Mahia left it very late to edge out a stubborn Shabana FC 1-0 in a Football Kenya Federation Premier League midweek fixture played at Kasarani Stadium on Wednesday.

Full back Rooney Onyango scored the lone goal in the 90th minute after receiving an inviting through pass from man of the match John Macharia.

Smarting from a humiliating 4-0 defeat at Ulinzi Stars on Sunday, Shabana decided to sit back and hit on the counter ostensibly to minimize damage against a superior K'Ogalo side.

This tactic worked very well until that decisive moment.

"When you're champions, teams are happy to take a point from you, and so they sit deep, and you've just got to be patient," an elated Gor Mahia coach Johnathan McKinstry said.

"Everyone wants to win by more than one goal, but today it was about getting the three points and moving on to the next game," he added.

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In their previous game on Saturday, the defending champions settled for a frustrating barren draw against Bidco United.

"These are tough games and I'm glad the guys are learning. Last year was a young group learning how to become champions, this year it's a group of guys learning how to be champions, because when you're champions, teams just want to fight for every point," the former Uganda Cranes coach offered.

Despite grabbing the all important goal, McKinstry feels that Rooney and skipper Geoffrey Ochieng gave away a couple of balls, and there's still a lot for him to learn.

"I thought he did well today. He gave away a couple of passes, and so did Geoffrey, but Rooney is still young; he's still learning. "

With goalkeeper Kevin Omondi keeping his fifth clean sheet of the season and Gad Mathews, last season's best keeper in the league, returning from an injury, McKinstry offers that the two must battle it out for the number one jersey.

"Kevin has the shirt and there's no reason to change it just yet because he's putting in those performances, and so him and Gad are going to have a good fight for that number one position."

FKF Premier League-Week Nine

Wednesday Results

Bidco United 3-0 Muhoroni Youth FC (3-0)

/Erickk Michubu 4, Chris Opondo 25, Thomas Wainaina 28/

Murang'a Seal FC 2-1 Nairobi City Stars (1-0)

/Titus Kipchanga 12, Dennis Maruti 63- Robin Asenwa 79/

FC Talanta 0-0 Nzoia Sugar FC (0-0)

Tusker FC 0-1 Ulinzi Stars (0-1)

/Boniface Muchiri 25/

AFC Leopards 0-0 Kariobangi Sharks (0-0)

Shabana FC 0-1 Gor Mahia (0-0)

/Ronney Onyango 90/

Bandari FC 3-2 Kenya Police FC (1-0)

/Derick Nsibambi 45, Shasiri Nahimana 87, Beja Nyamawi 90- Clinton Kinaga 83, David Simiyu 90/

KCB FC 0-3 Sofapaka FC (0-1)

/Khalid Jumaan 13, Fiston Abdul Razak 57, Amos Asembeka 64/

Thursday

2 PM: Kakamega Homeboyz FC vs. Posta Rangers

FKFPL: High-flying Posta Rangers face Kakamega Homeboyz