KCB head coach Bernard Mwalala has extolled his charges after a 3-2 win over Shabana in a Kenyan Premier League midweek fixture at the Kenyatta stadium in Machakos.
Mwalala said the outcome is a clear indication that his freshly formed squad has finally gelled following a mass exodus of key personnel in the last mid-season transfer window.
The bankers' delicate situation was compounded by a ballooning list of injuries that left all the departments exposed.
"We experienced some challenges in our campaign following a mass exodus of key squad members— who were instrumental in our impressive run in the first leg. I'm happy we have finally managed to register a win after many weeks," Mwalala remarked.
"We hope the team will continue to record more wins in our subsequent matches since consistency is key to securing a respectable finish in the league."
Mwalala's opposite number at Shabana, Sammy 'Pamzo' Omollo, said they woke up from slumber too late.
"It was good to see how we fought tooth and nail in the dying minutes of the game and even managed to score two goals in the second half," Omollo stated.
"Had we displayed that kind of spirit right from the start, then we could have easily witnessed a different scoreline."
The end-to-end encounter witnessed a flurry of squandered opportunities at both ends.
Derrick Otanga latched onto a sumptuous pass on the edge of the box to fire KCB into the lead in the 12th minute.
Philemon Nyakwaka then doubled the advantage in the 46th minute before Otanga came back to pile more misery on the Kisii-based side with a 59th-minute stunner.
Brian Magere then stumbled on an opportunity to pull one back for Shabana in the 64th before a goalkeeping howler by KCB Farouk Shikhalo reduced the deficit further in stoppage time.
The bankers' midfield was bolstered by the imposing presence of skipper Brian "Rio" Ochieng, who returned from a lengthy spell of injury.
The outcome has KCB in ninth place with 33 points while Shabana are second from the bottom with 18.