KHU: UON maul Pirates to move top

The University of Nairobi continued their fine form in the men's National Hockey League Eastern Zone after cruising to a 2-0 victory past GHF Pirates at the Impala grounds on Sunday.

The win cemented the host's place at the top with 51 points, three points clear of second-placed Impala after 25 matches. 

The city boys started the match on a high, capitalizing on their opponent’s low tempo to launch a ray of quick fine passes while enjoying the possession of the ball.

Brian Simotwo put the hosts ahead in the 3rd minute of the first quarter, slotting home a low shot to following penalty corner.

Pirates came close to equalizing in the 16th minute of the first quarter but peter Kiboko's effort went wide after a decent one-two touch with Titus Kiptoo on the left. Minutes later, Kiboko failed to capitalize on a frank Mwangi corner after the latter was fouled on the box.

Both teams came into the final quarter looking sharp, with pirates pushing for an equalizer.

The visitors defending frailties came to the fore in the dying minutes of the game when Brian Simotwo dribbled past the defense before beating the goalkeeper to double the advantage.

Despite the loss, Pirates team manager Dennis Aganyo remained optimistic about making the play-offs.

'' The league has not ended yet since we have two matches in hand and our boys are prepared so we hope we can pick some points'', he said.

Aganyo further rued wasted chances in the game, something their opponents exploited. ''We started the game on a low tempo but later picked.

''We were unlucky with our chances, their chances came, they took them and we paid the price'', a disappointed Aganyo added.

The Nakuru-based side lies fifth in the league, with a tough home fixture against Daystar University coming up in a week's time.