Butali Warriors battle Sailors in league tie

Champions Butali Warriors to face Sailors. [JENIPHER WACHIE, STANDARD]

Champions Butali Warriors face Sailors in a Kenya Hockey Union men’s Premier League match at City Park tomorrow.

They will also be looking to extend their unbeaten run and remain on course to retain the title. Butali have been unstoppable and are the only side yet to test defeat this season.

A victory against Sailors will see the sugar millers stretch the lead to 36 points seven more than second- placed Wazalendo who will not be in action this weekend.

They will also be out to extend a good run over Sailors who they have dominated and in their past encounters chalking three wins out of three.

Butali beat Sailors 2-0 in the first leg and will be looking to complete a double and snatch maximum points.

Sailors on the other hand will be chasing their sixth victory of the season and a chance to leap to fifth place. They are seventh on the log with 17 points and a win will see them break away from Western Jaguars and United States International University of Africa (USIU-A).

Jaguars are fifth and USIU-A sixth tied on 17 points with Sailors but separated by goal difference. Butali will have their key men turn up for the job except Frank Wanangwe who is out for the remaining part of the season with a knee injury.

Butali’s George Mutira and Amos Barkibir will be looking to increase their goal tally and remain in the race for the top scorer’s award.

Butali coach Dennis Owoka said that even though they have had a good season, the league is not won yet and they will be out to stretch their league and improve their chances.

“Victory against Sailors is very crucial because the title is still open. We have been consistent but we still have to work harder and we don’t expect an easy match because they (Sailors) gave us a hard time in our league opener and we don’t expect less from them,” Owoka said.

Today, third placed Greensharks will take on relegation candidates Parklands in the hunt of their eighth win of the season.

Sharks will also be hoping to grab three points and reduce the six point gap between them and Wazalendo. They go into the match on the back of a 3-1 win over 2016 champions Strathmore University Gladiators.

Parklands must win against Sharks to revive their hopes of escaping the chop. They have had one of their most disappointing seasons winning one match out of 12.

They are tied on eight points with 2012 winners Nairobi Sikh Union while Strathmore are one above them with ten.

In the women’s title chase, USIU-A Spartans will be take on Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) and Strathmore today and tomorrow.

Double victory for Spartans will see them equal defending champions Telkom on 26 points but will remain in second place due to an inferior goal difference.