Hockey: Butali drown Sailors to regain top spot
Butali Sugar Warriors' Barnabas Odhiambo (right) vies for the ball with Sailors' Johnstone Indiazi during the Kenya Hockey Union Premier League match at City Park Stadium on June 12, 2022.
What you need to know:
- Wazalendo coach Ndungu Njogu conceded defeat.
- “We were a bit sluggish and we were punished. Our decision making was also wanting while our opponents took advantage of their chances. We have a tough match against Butali in our next fixture and hope to have improved in our undoing,” said Njogu.
Champions Butali Sugar Warriors moved back to the top of the men’s Kenya Hockey Union Premier League table thanks to 2-1 win over Sailors on Sunday at the City Park Stadium in Nairobi.
Second half goals from Festus Onyango and Francis Kariuki were enough to hand them three points and enable them dislodge their local rivals Kenya Police to second position with 19 points from eight matches.
Butali have 20 points from the same number of matches. Police were not in action over the weekend.
Johnstone Indiazi scored the sole goal for Sailors in the 59th minute through a fantastic field goal.
In an earlier match played at the same venue, Strathmore University Gladiators returned to winning ways with a deserved 4-1 win over last year’s runners up Wazalendo.
Strathmore had recently lost to Kenya Police 2-1 and Sailors 3-2. The varsity side were on prowl from the whistle and barely two minutes into play, Nicholas Muchiti sounded the boards.
Strathmore were the better side in the first two quarters, but flopped in their delivery.
In the second half, Brian Gitau doubled their lead with his shot finding the back of the net in the 32nd minute.
Wazalendo regrouped and pressed their opponents in their own half and the efforts paid off when Strathmore conceded a penalty flick.
Sutcliffe Usagi stepped up and scored in the 48th minute to half the score.
However, Brian Nyabuto and Gideon Mshindi scored two quick goals to seal the victory for Strathmore.
Strathmore coach Meshack Senge said they are back in the title race.
“I’m glad we have wrapped up the first leg on a winning note. But we are not where we want to be, but we will be there with proper training. We want to be strong in midfield so that our attackers can have it easy,” said Senge.
Wazalendo coach Ndungu Njogu conceded defeat.
“We were a bit sluggish and we were punished. Our decision making was also wanting while our opponents took advantage of their chances. We have a tough match against Butali in our next fixture and hope to have improved in our undoing,” said Njogu.
