Struggling Nzoia Sugar managed to end their two match losing streak as they grabbed a precious point against Nairobi City Stars following a barren midweek league match played at Ruaraka Grounds on Wednesday afternoon.Before the match, pressure was heavy on the sugar millers’ shoulders as they were yet to record any win in the opening seven games where they lost five games and drew two, leaving them second bottom on the log. However, against the second highest scoring team in the league, the team managed to keep a clean sheet as they picked a precious point on foreign territory, much to Nicholas Muyoti’s frustration.”Nzoia will feel happy with the point but we aided their course by not creating any chance in front of goal. I am disappointed in the performance today but we have to move on to the next one,” the City Stars boss said.”Things have not been perfect on our end but we will take the draw considering the pressure we had and we were playing away. I think it is a positive result for the team,” Nzoia boss Ibrahim Shikanda remarked of his team.There was nothing to write home about in the opening half hour as both sides made a lethargic start to the game and showed little signs, if any, of scoring a goal, leave alone creating a chance.The sides exchanged possession at will but decision making in the final third was completely missing, a glaring sign of teams struggling to get match sharpness after only kicking to life recently following more than a month without football.The match had to wait until the 33rd minute for the game’s first site of goal and even when it came it was an off target attempt.From a corner kick awarded to Nairobi City Stars, Dennis Wanjala’s in-swinging corner kick was met by veteran midfielder Peter ‘Pinchez’ Opiyo but for all the experience under his belt, the former Gor Mahia player could not hit the target, his uncontested header just going past the upright.At the stroke of half time, the lull in the game would have certainly been broken had Nzoia’s Lewis Okello just been a touch quicker in thinking.One on one against the goalkeeper, the striker only needed to place the ball into the back of the net but his hesitation allowed custodian Jacob Osano to close in on him. Still, his goal bound effort was creeping into the net but crucial intervention from Salim ‘Shitu’ Abdallah swept off the attempt from the line for the game closest chance as both sides went into the break with the deadlock broken.At the start of the second half, both head coaches opted for the fresh legs on offer from the substitutes bench. Nicholas Muyoti throwing in Nicholas Kipkirui and Oliver Maloba in place of Davis Agesa and Ezekiel Odera for Nairobi City Stars as Ibrahim Shikanda brought on Ken Wasike in place of Leonard Kasembeli.The sugar millers started brightly in the second half but again the game followed the same script. Decent buildup but poor finishing in front of goal. The lack of of a creative edge would cloud the game for the entire second half as both teams struggled to kick into gear, the game ending in a lackluster nil nil draw.
