Mbarara City FC will have defender Ramathan Karim to thank for their vital 1-0 win against resilient Luwero United in the FUFA Big League game played at Kakyeka Stadium on Thursday.

The game was headed for a scoreless stalemate, as the visitors resorted to defending in numbers deep in the second half and trying to run down the clock, but Paul Kelvin Mugerwa boys could not contain the pressure they invited against themselves with the hosts pressing on.

Eventually, the relegation-threatened side succumbed to an unchallenged header from the central defender, who rose highest to meet a well taken second half substitute Sadat Nsubuga with ten minutes remaining on the clock, to arouse wild cheers from the hitherto worried home fans.

Mbarara City was in this game needing a win to keep their chase for the top three positions alive, having come from a 2-0 loss to Kyetume and a 2-2 draw against table leaders Kitara and knowing three points would keep them ahead of fourth-placed Police who will take on relegation-threatened Adjumani on Sunday.

Sadiq Ssempigi who has kept his trust in top talisman Henry Kitegenyi saw his man entirely out-marked and even when his marker would be saved by the referee’s mercy, having severally pulled down the striker, only to get a single booking and several verbal warnings from the merciful official, Kitegenyi would only get himself a booking instead of a goal that would take his tally to 17.

“We are playing each game as a final because every team needs results as the league closes in. I am happy we have won this difficult game and we hope to keep it this way until the last game. Our major target is promotion, not the title,” Said Mbarara City coach Ssempigi.

Meanwhile, Kitara FC will have to wait for a decision on their result away to Kyetume as their game ended prematurely following a fan invasion of the pitch, protesting a late winner for the visitors, but National Enterprise Corporation (NEC) tamed visiting Booma 2-0 to go to 50 points while Mbarara comes goes to 48 points.      

FBL Match day 26 results

Mbarara City 1 Luwero United 0

NEC 2 Booma 0

Kyetume Vs Kitara (match abandoned)

Ndejje Univ 1 Soroti City 0

Lugazi 3 Jinja North 1

Kataka 1 Northern Gateway 1

Sunday

Police Vs Adjumani

Calvary Vs Kaaro Karungi