Kisumu RFC picked up their second win of the season after edging Blak Blad RFC 9–8 at the Kisumu Polytechnic Grounds, but the result was not enough to save them from relegation from the top tier.
The Brave Hearts came into the season hoping to avoid the drop for a third consecutive year after surviving in their previous two campaigns, but the season took a different turn.
Kisumu only managed a win against Impala RFC earlier in the campaign and, despite putting up competitive performances in several fixtures, often had to settle for losing bonus points.
Heading into the clash against Blak Blad, the fixture carried extra significance. Their first meeting after Kisumu’s promotion had been abandoned and never replayed, while Blak Blad had claimed a dominant victory in last season’s encounter.
Playing this time at Mamboleo Grounds, Kisumu were keen to give their fans something to smile about and held a narrow 3–0 lead at halftime. The only points of the opening period came from Aggrey Kitoi, whose penalty proved the difference in a tightly contested first half.
Both sides were reduced to 14 men in the 23rd minute after trading yellow cards, with Blak Blad losing a prop for ten minutes while Kisumu also had their eighthman sent to the sin bin for a similar spell before Kitoi’s kick separated the sides.
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The second half remained closely fought but opened up slightly as both teams looked to attack. Kitoi extended Kisumu’s lead with another penalty in the 51st minute to make it 6–0.
Blak Blad responded just after the hour mark with a penalty of their own to cut the deficit to 6–3 and keep the contest alive heading into the final stages.
The closing ten minutes delivered late drama as Kitoi slotted another penalty to stretch the lead to 9–3. Blak Blad fought back and crossed over through Bryson Ogamba for a late try, but the conversion did not follow as Kisumu held on for a narrow 9–8 victory.
Despite the spirited win, the result ultimately came too late to change Kisumu’s fate as they drop from the top tier at the end of the season. With the win Kisumu who have their matches played have climbed to 11th having played 11 matches and have 12 points.
