Dagoretti dethrone Upper Hill in Nairobi finals

[Courtesy]

Dagoretti, popularly known as Ditchez, beat last year’s winners Upper Hill 11-8 in a thrilling final in Nairobi Region games yesterday at St Mary’s School.

It was a sad day for Upper Hill as the loss saw them surrender three titles in one match.

Having failed to win the regional title, Upper Hill, last year’s champions, did not qualify for next month’s Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) national Term One games to be held in Mombasa.

Their hopes of winning a second East Africa title were also dented as they lost their chance to be in Arusha, Tanzania for this year’s regional games.

Emotions ran high, as the two sides associated with current KSSSA chairman Peter Orero clashed for a lone Nairobi ticket to the national extravaganza.

The match attracted spectators who came in their numbers to watch ‘Orero’s children’ battle it out for top honours.

Orero known for his passion for sports made Upper Hill a sports powerhouse before moving to Dagoretti.

After losing in the semis last year, Ditchez returned the favour hitting them where it hurt most and end their run for this year’s titles.

Upper Hill, who seemed to be in control of the game in the first half, were left hurting after Dagoretti gained courage to force the match into extra time.

Dagoretti’s captain Benson Salem said the fear of playing the East Africa champions is what restrained them from going for victory from the onset.

“We were afraid and gave them a lot of respect because of their status as national and East Africa champions and it could have cost us,” said Salem.

“They have been defeating us in the past and so we had fear and expected to lose by a bigger margin. Nonetheless, we gained courage after we had held them and they were not scoring.”

He added that after containing them for the better part of the first half, they changed their strategy and decided to pin Upper Hill in their own half which worked for them.

Wandera Mubarak touched down to give Upper Hill the lead in the early minutes of the half but Bonventure Opande failed to covert his effort.

Lukas Aluso restored parity but his try was not also converted as Timothy Lugalia missed the target for a 5-5 score at half-time.

Having spent the first half in their own territory, Dagoretti turned the tables in the second half to control the game as Opande won a penalty after a foul to restore their lead.

Lugalia scored a penalty to level matters once more as the second half ended 8-8 to stretch the game into extra time.

Lugalia’s effort; an extra time drop goal, denied Upper Hill a chance to defend their national and East Africa gongs.