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| Kennedy Osikuku of Police playing against Parkroads. |
By ELIZABETH MBURUGU
Strathmore Gladiators lived up to their name holding at bay champs Nairobi Simba in their Kenya Hockey Union (KHU) premier league match yesterday.
The two time champions put up a hard fight that ended in a 3-3 draw in a tough encounter played at Nairobi City Park Stadium.
Poor clearance by Strathmore’s goalkeeper Simon Odhiambo saw Simba go up two minutes into play. Former Stathmore player Davis Wanangwe pounced on the ball, poorly cleared, passing it to Asif Shah who scored a fantastic field goal.
The students did not waste time in retaliation and cancelled Simba’s goal in the sixth minute through Seth Oburu.
Richard Oracha wasted an open chance to put the Gladiators in the lead blasting wide. Four minutes later Asif Shah punished the student side slotting in a second.
Captain Hosea Walucho led from the front as he hauled his side level in the 58th minute.
A 65th minute own goal by Haggai Pepela put Strathmore in a better position to secure their second win of the season.
However, Simba were not ready to lose easily and veteran player and national team captain Wilson Otieno replied in the 67th minute to share the spoils.
“It’s a young team most of my boys have never played at this level but they are promising next season they would have acquired the experience needed,” Strathmore coach Meshack Senge said.
In another premier league encounter former champions Kenya Police extended their winning streak and opened an eight point gap ahead of their closest rival USIU.
Police beat Parkroad 4-0 in a continuation of last Sunday’s match that ended prematurely in the seventh minute due to poor state of the pitch.
They were leading by a solitary goal Francis Esikuri scored in the 20th minute from a penalty corner to put the officers two goals up.
Esikuri was at it aga after 32 minutes scoring a field goal that put the law enforcers 3-0 up by the half time.
They came from the breather re-energized to score their second through Moses Cheplaiti in the 36th minute.
Parkroad, however, improved their game and contained Police onslought to see game end 3-0.
