League debutants JMC Hippos held giants SC Villa to a barren draw in a tightly contested and physical affair played at the Kakindu stadium in Jinja on Saturday evening.
The minnows pulled the Jogoos to the extreme from the onset with very well calculated and coordinated counterattacks only to waste the chances in the final third.
First half action
Villa’s Mike Sserumaga and Robert Achema rolled the game at exactly 4:00 pm launching the first attack on the hosts goal. Umar Kasumba wasted the chance just inside the first minute picking a well calculated splitting pass from Ambrose Kirya’s successful dribble before beating his marker blast the ball over the bar with the keeper already beaten.
The hosts quickly re-started the game on the right flank where Asuman Bajjampola raced to reduce the distance before he curled in a beautiful cross to find Wandyaka. The captain raised above all and thumped a header to the lower right post but to his dismay, Nicholas Sebwato pulled one of those rare acrobatic saves to maintain the scoreline.
James Odoch’s boys kept on holding the ball away from the visitors while sitting in their own half waiting for that chance to break. But in the 19th minute, Taddeo Lwanga came closest with a double strike which were well countered by Nantamu in Jmc goal even though the blues together with their bench went wild claiming the ball had crossed the line but fell to referees ‘deaf’ ears.
Six minutes later Sserumaga was again in the spot picking the ball from his half then transited to the other and released a powerful screamer which could only rattle the crossbar. Kasumba picked up the remains and headed in but his celebrations were cut short by the first Assistant referee who ruled him offside to send game into barren break.
JMC also had a goal cancelled at the interval. Wandyaka exchanged with Rajab and Bankene before he slotted past Sebwato but was ruled off.
The draw drops Jmc Hippos to 10th place with 24 points two less than their visitors who are 7th.
Lineup
Jmc Hippos: Nantamu Michael, Jimmy Jalendo, Isa Magumba, Musa Walangarira, Godfrey Khalega, Kelvin Kato(55′ Walter Bankene), Richard Wandyaka, Ivan Lubale, Abdul rahman Rajab. Edrine Bageya(84′ Tweneboah Joshua)
SC Villa Lineup: Nicholas Sebwato, Misi Katende, Isaac Muleme, Henry Katongole, Jonathan Mugabi, Taddeo Lwanga, Godfrey Lwesibawa(60′ Karim Ndugwa), Ambrose Kirya, Umar Kasumba, Mike Serumaga(55′ Mike Ndera), Robert Achema(53′ Martin Kiiza).