KCB sink Menengai Oilers at the death as Kabras narrowly edge Nondies

KCB Rugby left it late to snatch a dramatic 29-27 victory over Menengai Oilers in a fiercely contested clash at the Ruaraka Sports Club on Saturday 22 February.

The Bankers had to dig deep, securing the win with a last-minute conversion that kept them within the Kenya Cup semi-final spots.

Oilers started strongly, with Timothy Omela drilling in an early penalty to give the Nakuru-based side a 3-0 lead.

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However, KCB responded almost immediately as Elvis Olukusi sliced through a lackluster Oilers defense to touch down. Austin Sikutwa missed the conversion, but the hosts went 5-3 up.

Omela continued to be Oilers' weapon from the boot, reclaiming the lead with a 40-meter penalty. He would add three more penalties to his tally, giving Oilers a commanding 15-5 advantage with just minutes to play in the first half.

KCB, however, had the final say before the break. Festus Shiasi muscled his way through a crowded ruck to score, with Sikutwa converting to reduce the deficit to 15-12 at halftime.

Oilers resumed on the front foot, their forwards dominating the scrums to create space for scrum-half Samson Onsomu, who darted through a gap and fended off two defenders before scoring in the corner. Omela added the extras, stretching Oilers' lead to 22-12.

KCB struck back through substitute prop Erick Miheso, who powered over the whitewash under the posts, making it 22-19. Sikutwa then slotted a penalty to level the scores, setting up a tense final stretch.

Oilers regained the lead when Onsomu switched play to the blindside, catching KCB short and setting up Omela for a try in the corner. However, Omela's conversion attempt drifted wide, leaving the scores at 27-22 with five minutes to play.

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KCB, sensing an opportunity, intensified their attacks, spending more time in Oilers' 22 than they had all game. Their persistence paid off as Sikutwa exploited a defensive lapse to walk over the line.

With the game hanging in the balance at 27-27, his conversion sailed through the posts, securing a thrilling 29-27 victory for KCB at the full-time whistle.

In Kakamega, Nondies RFC almost stopped reggae after a narrow 7-3 defeat to Kabras RFC. Mwamba RFC failed to maintain momentum, eventually going down 19-12 to Impala RFC.