STARTIMES UGANDA PREMIER LEAGUE
Saturday’s Result
Vipers SC 3-1 Arua Hill SC
Goals from Cesar Manzoki, Milton Karisa and Yunus Sentamu earned the Venoms an excellent and hard-fought three points in a game not lacking for drama from first to last.
The result keeps us four points clear at the top of the StarTimes Uganda Premier League (SUPL) following a commanding 3-1 victory over Arua Hill on Saturday on a sodden evening at St Mary’s Stadium, Kitende.
The Venoms now have 39 points after 17 games, with closest challengers, KCCA FC – who have played a match fewer, at 35. Arua Hill are sixth on 28 points.
In what was a cagey, physical and tense affair, the visitors Arua Hill had the game’s first attempt at goal as midfielder David Ndihabwe rattled the crossbar from close range after being setup by former Venom Alfred Leku.
Vipers best attempt in the opening half fell to Milton Karisa but the forward also rattled the crossbar at the far post after a nice cross by Disan Galiwango.
Goalscoring chances were far and between in the first 45 due to Arua Hill’s combactive approach, that had them make foul after foul on the Vipers players.
From those fouls, Alfred Leku and Bright Vuni received cautions from referee Ali Sabila.
The game went into the break with nothing much to separate the two sides.
Immediately after the restart, Cesar Manzoki pounced on a deflected ball to break the deadlock for the Venoms. It was Karim Watambala’s effort that was deflected into the path of the Congolese forward.
Moments later, Arua Hill replied with a goal but Leku shot agonizingly wide after easily beating off Halid Lwaliwa.
Vipers almost doubled their lead in the 56th minute but Arua Hill goalkeeper Richard Anyama made an acrobatic save to parry away Yunus Sentamu’s curler.
But Anyama couldn’t save Karisa’s effort in the 71st minute after the forward made an excellent run to notch in following a long Najib Yiga throw-in.
But before that goal, Vipers head coach Robertinho Oliviera made a double change, bringing in Frank ‘Zaga’ Tumwesigye and Hilary Mukundane for Watambala and Galiwango respectively.
Arua Hill pulled a goal back in the 76th minute through Gaddafi Wahab’s volley that oozed past Fabien Mutombora.
But Sentamu restored Vipers’ two goals advantage less than four minutes later with a sublime sole strike after dribbling past two of his markers.
Vipers had a chance to add on their game’s tally before the end of the game, but Anyama made a good stop to deny Manzoki.
All goals came in the second half in a match Vipers star Siraje Sentamu was named Pilsner Man of the Match.
Copyright 2022 Vipers Sports Club plc. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.viperssc.co.ug as the source.