Vipers SC Edge Lugazi FC To Return To Winning Ways
Vipers Sports Club bounced back to winning ways in style after securing a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Lugazi FC on Thursday at St Mary’s Stadium, Kitende. After back-to-back defeats under caretaker manager John Luyinda, the Venoms needed a response, and they delivered it in the second half in front of their home fans to revive their title hopes and ease the growing pressure on the technical bench.
The first half ended goalless as a resilient Lugazi side frustrated the hosts with a disciplined defensive display, denying Vipers space in the final third and forcing them into long-range efforts that failed to trouble the goalkeeper. Vipers came out of the break with renewed urgency, pushing numbers forward and increasing the tempo in search of the breakthrough, but Lugazi remained compact and looked set to snatch a valuable point away from home until the game turned in the final 10 minutes.
It was Nigerian defender Biweribo Tarabina who finally broke the deadlock in the 80th minute, sending the Kitende crowd into wild celebrations with a crucial strike that gave Vipers the lead they had been chasing all evening. Three minutes to stoppage time, attacking midfielder Abubakali Walusimbi doubled the Venoms’ lead with a powerful shot, assisted by Farouk Miya, to seal all three points and confirm Vipers’ return to winning form.
The result brought huge relief for caretaker manager John Luyinda, who had suffered two straight defeats since taking charge against Mbarara City and URA FC. Vipers will now return to action on November 18th when they host current table leaders BUL FC, while on the same day Lugazi FC will visit Mbarara City FC. Vipers now sit 7th on the table with 14 points from nine matches, while Lugazi sit 15th with 8 points from 10 matches.