URA FC conceded three goals and scored none against Vipers SC at the Arena of Visions, Bombo to endure their first home loss to the Venoms since 2018.


The Venoms scored three unanswered goals through Halid Lwaliwa, Caesar Manzoki and Yunus Sentamu to claim all the three points on the road.


The loss, also URA’s fourth this season is a big concern to the Tax Collectors’ title ambitions, the Taxmen badly needed to get those three points against direct competitors and table leaders Vipers to keep the title race more lively.


With five more games to go, you can’t count URA out of the title race, but to keep in close range, however, a win was needed against Vipers.


The loss kept URA in third place with 43 points as Vipers moved to 55, creating a 12 point gap between the two sides. Second-placed KCCA FC also remains three points above URA.


At the Arena of Visions on Tuesday, the Tax Collectors were the first to be tested as visitors had the first attempts on goal. Yunus Sentamu struck, and Alionzi Nafian was called to early action as he dived to parry the striker’s effort away for a corner as early as the 3rd minute of the game.


The opening minutes saw neither side create any real threatening goal-scoring chances, safer to say the tax collectors had a slow start at the Arena of Visions with Vipers being very much on the front foot.


Right-back Ashraf Mandela registered URA’s first shot of the game, Benjamin Nyakoojo hit a great strike from long range that was matched by Vipers’ custodian Fabian Mutombora as the Taxmen started to get into the game.


However, it is the visitors that scored first to take the lead in the 26th minute through their captain Lwaliwa whose shot made way through the crowd to cross the line.


After half an hour played, Manzoki converted from the spot to double Vipers’ lead following a foul on Sentamu by Hudu Mulikyi in the forbidden area. URA was two goals down, and that was it for the first 45 minutes.


On the return of the second half, URA made two immediate changes, introducing Joackiam Ojera and Jackson Nunda for Vianne Ssekajugo and captain Shafik Kagimu.


The game still had a relatively quiet start to the second half. And in the 63rd minute, Yunus Sentamu’s solo effort saw him make it three for Vipers. He beat his marker and made a neat run before slotting in an empty net.


Moments after conceding the third, with 15 more minutes to play, URA made another double change as Dada Ibrahim and Kabon Living came on for Ivan Sserubiri and Steven Mukwala respectively.


Nonetheless, the result remained unchanged and at the end of the 90 minutes, URA lost all the three points to Vipers.


The tax collectors now have their focus shifted to their next opponents whom they have to pick maximum points from to keep chasing the title.
URA return to action on 23rd April against Police FC at Lugogo. 

Admin
April 12, 2022