Mathare United gained valuable lessons in their 2-1 defeat to champions Gor Mahia, head coach John Kamau has said.
Ellis Asieche sent Mathare in front with a well-taken goal in the 10th minute, sending the home fans into a frenzy.
However, Gor Mahia restored parity before the break through Alphonse Omija’s clinical finish. Mathare’s resilience was undone when they conceded a second-half penalty, tucked away by Enock Morrison.
“The most important thing is to take lessons from the game. Playing against a team of Gor Mahia’s calibre, we can only build and learn from that,” Kamau stated.
They were the architects of their downfall.
“It was a very open and direct game and we were punished for our mistakes. We needed to defend higher up the pitch. Instead, we sat too deep, which led to the penalty,” he explained.
“We must learn to defend as a unit, starting with our forward players.”
Kamau rued inability to maintain intensity and struggled to contain Gor Mahia after taking the lead.
“We worked so hard to get that opening goal, but at some point, we couldn’t contain the pressure from our opponents,” he noted.
Lack of composure in the final third proved costly as Mathare squandered several opportunities to reclaim the lead.
“There were moments when we created good chances but failed to take them. At this level, you have to be clinical,” Kamau said.
He attributed their struggles to a lapse in concentration, particularly in the latter stages of both halves.
“The boys started the game brightly but seemed to drop off midway through. I think that came down to pressure,” he added.
Kamau urged fans to remain patient as Mathare battle to stay afloat in the top tier.
“There will be setbacks along the way. The most important thing is to stay focused on our target. We will fight to remain in the league,” he assured.