Match-day 13 results
Heathens 19-12 KOBs
Pirates 27-22 Hippos
Impis 26-30 Mongers
Rhinos 08-06 Rams
Walukuba 10-24 Buffaloes
Lions Cup scorecard
Heathens: 19
Tries; Innocent Gwokto, Trevor Ochan, Penalty Try
Con; Chris Lubanga
Kobs: 12
Pens; Joseph Aredo *4
A tightly contested top of the table clash it was at Kyadondo as Heathens emerged victorious with a controversial 19-12 win against KOBs to take Rugby Premier League leadership.
But KOBs will feel hard done by the result after Heathens were awarded a late Penalty, with the game tied 12-all in the closing seconds.
And amidst lengthy protests, the Referee awarded Heathens a Penalty Try for the game’s last piece of action.
The result saw KOBs drop to third position after Pirates beat Jinja Hippos and hence taking up the second slot.
How The Drama Unfolded
The game started at a frenetic pace, with both teams eager to take control of the match. The visitors were the first to score with a well-placed kick from their outside centre Joseph Aredo sailing through the posts.
However, Heathens were quick to respond with a try of their own, showcasing their attacking prowess.
Innocent Gwokto crossed the white wash to give the defending champions the lead and with a missed conversion, the score was placed at 5-3.
The game continued to ebb and flow, with both teams trading blows and exchanging possession.
It was the Kobs who looked more dangerous, with their backline causing all sorts of problems for the Heathens defence.
Kobs were able to earn themselves two penalties, both of which were successfully taken by Joseph Aredo to give his side the lead and extend it to 5-9 going into the halftime break.
Coming into the second half, both teams proved to be going toe-to-toe as efforts from both sides were evenly matched.
It was not long before the Heathens were able to finally record a second half try through Trevor Ochan to reclaim the lead, with the extras by Chris Lubanga moving the score to 12-9.
This surely did not look to be the nail to the coffin for this game, Kobs was awarded yet another penalty and the in-form Joseph Aredo slotted it in to even the score at 12-all.
As the game entered the final stages, tensions began to rise, with both teams trying so hard to secure a win, the game got even tighter.
The attacking prowess of Heathens got them playing in their opponents’ red-zone and it saw the referee award them a contestable penalty with just seconds remaining to play for, much to the dismay of the Kobs players and fans.
A penalty situated directly between the poles and at the five metre line, clearly would have given Heathens the chance to take the lead and eventually win the game.
The Kobs players and technical bench felt the referee’s call was unjust, and so the players refused to allow the penalty to be taken, leading to a heated confrontation between the two sides.
The game saw a pause of about ten minutes as the referee tried to calm the situation and talk to both parties, calming the atmosphere for the game to continue but to no success.
The referee eventually awarded a penalty try to Heathens to give them a 19-12 victory before blowing the final whistle. The decision proved to be a controversial one, with many arguing that it was the wrong call.
The chaotic atmosphere spilled over into the stands, with fans from both sides getting into heated verbal and physical confrontations amongst themselves and the incident left a sour taste in the mouth of many who had come to watch the game.
Despite the controversy, Heathens walked away with the victory, which saw them move to the top of the league standings as Kobs was left to rue their missed opportunity to edge closer to the title.
Squads:
Heathens; Santos Ssenteza, Cyrus Wathum, Peter Bisaso, Simon Olet, Akera Komakech, Joachim Chisano, Scot Oluoch, Shadon Munoko, Faisal Gamma, Chris Lubanga, Lawrence Sebuliba, Trevor Ochan, Innocent Gwokto, Claude Otema, Joseph Oyet
Reserves; Hebert Chanpara, Victor Wango, Gideon Kaihura, Shawn Baseka, Aziz Khan, Michael Amollo, Steven Kalema, Kati Nicholas.
Kobs; Saul Kivumbi, Trevor Maina, Collins Kimbowa, Michael Otto, Emmanuel Ecodu, Derrick Tukasibwe, Byron Okatayot, Alhaji Manano, Robert Masendi, James Injongat, Daudi Semwami, Justin Kimono, Joseph Aredo, Lawrence Wakabi, Josiah Sempeke.
Reserves; Pius Ogena, W. Mukili, Jude Jjuko, R. Aziku, A. Jarua, D.Kyewalabye, Mark Osuna, C. Mukwaya.
