Why Gor Mahia coach is relieved to win against Nzoia

Gor Mahia head coach Johnathan McKinstry has expressed relief after securing a significant victory against Nzoia Sugar at Sudi Stadium in Bungoma on Saturday.

The win was crucial for the league leaders, who had dropped points in two match in their previous league matches.

Gor Mahia difficulties

McKinstry spoke of how it is difficulty to win in Bungoma and praised his team for bouncing back in style with a 3-1 win.

McKinstry highlighted the challenges they faced on their journey to Bungoma, including a significant delay due to engine trouble, which resulted in the players being up for around 19 hours before the match.

“Coming up here to Bungoma is always very difficult. I know Nzoia have a poor season by their standards but most teams that have won here is by a single goal 1-0 or 2-1. To win by two clear goals that is what more than what a lot of teams have done. For us it was made more difficult because the day before the match was a nightmare day. We had engine trouble leaving Nairobi,” McKinstry told Gor Mahia TV.

“We should have left by 5am but we didn’t leave till 5:30 pm and we didn’t get to the hotel until like 11 o’clock at night and the guys were up and about for around 19 hours,” he said.

Despite these obstacles, McKinstry commended his team for their resilience and adaptability during the game, especially in rectifying issues observed in the first half.

“We saw that in the first half. The space between the midfielders was wider than we would but we rectified that,” the coach stated.

While pleased with the overall performance, McKinstry expressed disappointment over conceding a penalty, a rare occurrence in Gor Mahia’s matches.

“Disappointed to give away a penalty, you know there not been many penalties for and against Gor Mahia so we will look at that again,” he stated.

Gor Mahia players praised

Gor Mahia auded the team’s hard work and execution, particularly their ability to capitalize on opportunities to run behind the opposition defense, which was evident in the second and third goals.

“But the guys worked hard, the subs did well and our key thing was to get the guys run behind. You saw that in the second goal and third goal,” he added.

The victory helped Gor Mahia maintain their position at the top of the league table with 54 points, having won 15 matches, drawn nine, and lost two. With 33 goals scored and 12 conceded, the team continues to demonstrate their dominance in the league under McKinstry’s guidance.