Villa's resurgence: Watch out Vipers, KCCA!

STARTIMES UGANDA PREMIER LEAGUE

Saturday results

Kyetume 1 URA 1

Villa 2 Proline 1

____________________________


KAMPALA - SC Villa are nine points adrift of leaders Vipers, who play later today against BUL, and are seven points behind defending champions KCCA, who are second.

After registering victory over Proline on Saturday, a third win in the last five, the mood in the Villa camp is understandably buoyant. In fact, club chief executive Shan Mubiru is one of those happy with the current form of The Jogoos.

He also has hinted on reforms at the club, talking of how he believes "in free flowing football [and that] those are the changes coming at Villa Park"

"Anyone below that is a bar lower below my thinking...... Change is here," tweeted the Villa CEO.

So what could be the big man up to? We don't know - yet.

But what is clear is that Mubiru is overseeing a club that is grinding out result after result, and their latest win over Proline at Namboole saw Benson Muhindo come off the bench to score the winner in stoppage time.

Proline had taken an early lead through Diego Hamis Kizza in the 18th minute after a blunder by goalkeeper Saidi Keni.

With 15 minutes left to the end of regular time, Ambrose Kirya put the hosts back on level terms from the penalty spot after Faisal Muwawu was brought down in the box by Richard Ajuna.

At 1-1, both sides appeared settled for a sharing of the spoils - until Muhindo's fierce strike in the 93rd minute proved too much for goalkeeper Hassan Matovu to handle.

While Villa resurgence continues, Proline remain struggling

Saturday's victory gave Villa a firm grip of third place on 37 points.

A fourth defeat in five games means bottom-placed Proline's chances of survival are becoming slimmer by the day.

On 15 points from 21 games, Proline are eight points below the safety belt and will have to make the most out of their remaining nine games, during which they will face the likes of KCCA, URA and Onduparaka.

The task at hand for head coach Baker Mbowa is clear: Win every game and survival could just be a reality.

Against Villa, Proline started off with early attempts by Hakim Kiwanuka although his finishing application was poor.

Villa also had good open chances of scoring in the first half but forwards Kirya and Ronald Mugwali were often guilty of profligacy.

Bright Anukani continued to show his quality in the midfield for Proline. In fact, it was his delivery to Kiwanuka that forced the Villa goalkeeper to err, leading to Kizza's opener.

Anukani tested Keni but his off-target shots only needed realignment to cause any meaningful danger.

Hosts Villa picked up momentum after Kirya's 75th-minute equaliser and their sustained pressing paid off in stoppage time with Muhindo's strike proving decisive.

Next up, The Jogoos will face Buganda Regional side Kajjansi United in the Uganda Cup round of 32 mid-next week.

In Jinja, URA needed Saidi Kyeyune's 73rd minute equaliser to salvage a point from Kyetume, who had taken an early lead through Robert Sentoongo's penalty two minutes into the game.