Sailors drown poor UoN: Hockey Naise scores four times as Amira teach university students some hockey lessons

Impressive results leave coach in optimistic mood

Chase Amira Pauline Naise(front) with the ball as Orange Lilian Aura blocks her when they played Ladies National League at City Park yesterday. Orange won 3-0. ON 11/03/2017 PHOTO: JENIPHER WACHIE

Pauline Naise was on fire as Amira Sailors thrashed debutantes University of Nairobi (UoN) 6-0 in a Kenya Hockey Union women's Premier League match yesterday at City Park.

The multi-talented forward netted four times as Amira subjected the winless students to their sixth loss in the league.

Leah Omwandho and Susan Oketch were also on target for Amira, who are seeking a top two finish this season.

Amira coach Linnet Onyango was pleased with the result praising her forwards for a job well done.

"I think it was one of our best performances this season and we totally deserved the victory. We had an all-round impressive display," Onyango said.

Naise, who is a hockey-cum-football player and joined Amira this season, proved her worth with a superb display.

Last Monday, she scored a last-minute equaliser to salvage a point against Strathmore University's Scorpions.

Determined to secure their third win of the season, nine minutes is all Amira needed to take the lead against the students.

Omwandho sounded the boards from a Lorraine Nondi' s pushed short corner.

Amira, hoping to improve on their third-place finish last season, intensified their hunt for goals in the second quarter. The trio of Naise, Omwandho and Oketch coordinated well as they launched several unsuccessful attacks inside the UoN territory.

Their combined efforts finally paid off as Sailors scored their second goal. When the chance fell on her shoulders, Naise did not falter as she sent the ball past UoN goalkeeper, Quinter Okoreh, in the 29th minute.

Ten minutes later, Oketch fired past Okoreh after a lapse in the UoN defence to make it 3-0 for Amira.

Naise ruled the final quarter as she scored three times in 11 minutes. First, she reacted quickly to finish off a rebound after Oketch's saved shot.

Two minutes later, the former USIU player superbly deflected Nondi's cross to make it five.

The students created their only chance of the match in this quarter, but forward Sharon Atieno's shot was saved by Amira custodian Rachel Kerubo. Naise crowned her sterling performance with a goal one minute to the whistle.