Vipers SC needed a late comeback to ensure they picked up a 2-1 Ugandan Premier League win over Kitara FC on Wednesday at St Mary’s Stadium.
Paul Mucureezi and Daniel Sserunkuma ensured the champions won their first game after they had gone behind to the debutants 10 minutes after the second half had started.
Brian Mayanja scored the opener for Kitara in the 55th minute but substitutes Mucureezi and Sserunkuma buried their hopes of picking up three points from the under-pressure champions.
Mucureezi equalised in the 82nd minute before the former Gor Mahia and Bandari striker Sserunkuma netted the winner two minutes later.
Muhammad Shaban, Najib Yiga and Disan Galiwango had some good opportunities that would have enabled the Venoms to get a comfortable win but they were not clinical enough.
At Fufa Technical Centre in Njeru, Kyetume FC condemned debutants UPDF FC to a first loss after claiming a 1-0 win.
Kyetume collected all the points courtesy of a late penalty that was converted by Mustafa Mujuzi in the second minute of added time. The Soldiers were the first to win a penalty in the 90th minute but Joel Mutakubwa saved the day for the hosts as he stopped Fred Okot’s spot-kick.
Mutakubwa engineered a counter-attack that ended up giving Kyetume a penalty at the other end. Mujuzi, who was signed from Proline FC, took the penalty and scored to ensure the Slaughters emerged winners at home.
UPDF had a good start in the Premier League as they had defeated Busoga United, Kitara and BUL FC.
Finally, at Kakyeka Stadium Mbarara City managed to fight back and register a 1-1 draw against Express FC.
After going down before the half-time break, the Ankole Lions had to stage a spirited fight to get a point in their engagement against the Red Eagles.
Godfrey Lwesiba had scored for Express in the 23rd minute before the hosts grabbed an equaliser courtesy of Souleymane Bamba's effort in the 77th minute.
It is the second draw for Mbarara City who had been beaten by the local heavyweights Sports Club Villa and Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA FC).
SC Villa and KCCA played on Tuesday and the latter managed to beat the Kasasiro Boys to hand them a first league defeat this season.