Western Jaguars miss chance to go top

What you need to know:

  • In the other women’s Premier League duel, Amira Sailors forced former champions Sliders to a 1-1 draw at City Park. Leah Omwadho placed home in the 44th minute from a penalty corner to give Sailors the lead, only for Charity Miller to level for Sliders in the 55th minute.
  • Sailors stays fourth in the log, but with an improved tally of seven points, while Sliders scaled one place to sixth with six points.

Western Jaguars squandered a golden opportunity to reclaim the men’s hockey Premier League lead when they lost to Greensharks and Sailors respectively over the weekend at City Park Stadium.

It’s a weekend that saw United States International University (USIU Spartans and Lakers win their respective matches to tie with defending champions Telkom on top of women’s Premier League with 11 points each.

Jaguars seem to have lost their killer instinct, going down to Sharks 3-2, before being subdued by Sailors by the same score-line. That cost them as they dropped one place to third with 13 points, swapping places with Wazalendo, who have the same points. Jaguars now have four wins, a draw and three losses.

Sharks’ victory moved them one place to fourth with 12 points, exchanging places with former champions Kenya Police, who were not in action. Sharks have four wins and three losses.

Fifth-placed Police have 11 points from three wins, two draws and one loss.

Sailors improved one place to seventh with seven points from two wins, a draw and four defeats.

Defending champions Butali Sugar Warriors upheld their top spot in the league with 14 points despite not being in action last weekend. It’s the only side yet to concede defeat this season with four wins and two draws.

Chris Wokila put Sharks ahead in the 11th minute from a penalty corner, but skipper Willis Malesi levelled in the 23rd minute for Jaguars after also latching on a penalty corner delivery.

Benson Mawich reclaimed the lead for Sharks two minutes into the second session from a field goal, before Wokila completed his double in the 41st minute to put Sharks ahead 3-1.

Jaguars would then stage a thrilling rally, but could only put one back through Conrad Bihembo’s penalty shot in the 57th minute as Sharks held on for heir third win of the season.

On Sunday, Felix Opola put Sailors head of Jaguars with a field goal in the 24th minute as the sides took break. Robinson Omutekete levelled in the 31th minute from field play to put Jaguars back into the match, only for Abraham Musee to reclaim the lead for Sailors from the spot three minutes later.

It was a see-saw affair with Kelvin Machinji netting in the 50th minute to level for Jaguars, only for Douglas Nyerere to break their hearts when he grabbed the winner for Sailors with seconds to full time.

Lakers briefly claimed the second spot in the league when they crushed visiting Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology 2-0 at Kisumu Simba grounds on Saturday.

However, USIU Spartans would retain the position after an emphatic 3-0 drubbing of Kenyatta University Titans at City on Sunday. Telkom, USIU and Lakers have 11 points each, but the champions have a better goal difference.

Telkom and Lakers are the only side yet to lose a match this season. Telkom, who were not in action have three wins and two draws, USIU have two wins, two draws and one loss, while Lakers have five draws and one win.

In the other women’s Premier League duel, Amira Sailors forced former champions Sliders to a 1-1 draw at City Park. Leah Omwadho placed home in the 44th minute from a penalty corner to give Sailors the lead, only for Charity Miller to level for Sliders in the 55th minute.

Sailors stays fourth in the log, but with an improved tally of seven points, while Sliders scaled one place to sixth with six points.