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Fred Likuyani and James Magayi

John Makwata grabbed a hat-trick as AFC Leopards put their financial problems aside to thump Zoo Kericho FC  4-1 in an entertaining Kenyan Premier League tie played at Bukhungu Stadium yesterday.

It was a sweet victory for stand-in coach Anthony Kimani who received a rapturous applause from the partisan crowd. 

Leopards went ahead after just 12 minutes when Boniface Mukhekhe’s free header easily beat Patrick Lumumba in Zoo’s goal to send the fans into wild celebrations.

Makwata then doubled the lead with a brilliantly curled shot from the edge of the box as the two teams went to the break with Ingwe leading 2-0.

After the breather, Zoo pulled one back through Collins Neto’s powerful header which woke up Leopards from their slumber.

Zoo coach Herman Iswekha then brought in Ernest Kipkoech and Newton Ondari for the infective Danson Kiprono and Geoffrey Gichana but that did little to salvage the game as Makwata returned to score two more goals in the 66th and 75th minutes to kill off the match.

In the early kick off, Ulinzi Stars’ fearsome forward partnership of Enosh Ochieng and Oscar Wamalwa combined perfectly to slay a stubborn Posta Rangers 2-0 at Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos.

The dynamic duo each struck in either half to power the soldiers into fourth spot on the table and as many points shy of league leaders Gor Mahia.

Ochieng, whose hot scoring streak followed from the previous season opened the scores after 33 minutes when he latched onto Daniel Waweru’s cross into the area before placing the ball into the back of the net unchallenged. 

The ease with which Rangers were unlocked debunked the myth that Sammy ‘Pamzo’ Omolo laid greater emphasis on defending than any other area in his team.

Wamalwa then put the game to bed with just five minutes remaining with another well worked finish to break Rangers’ ambitions of clawing back at least a point from the game.