Entebbe UPPC edged NEC 1-0 in a tense encounter at the Works Ground on Saturday afternoon, a result that deepened NEC’s early-season woes and lifted the hosts into the league’s top four.
In a match played under sweltering conditions and without NEC’s suspended head coach Hussein Mbalangu, the visitors looked disjointed and short of inspiration for large spells.
Entebbe, on the other hand, played with confidence and cohesion, buoyed by their home crowd and growing momentum this season.
The breakthrough arrived in the 60th minute when Samuel Junior Kawawa ghosted in behind the NEC defence to meet a pinpoint cross from Gift Odong, slotting home with composure to send the home fans into raptures.
It was Kawawa’s moment of brilliance that proved the difference in a game of fine margins.
For NEC, it was yet another frustrating outing. The side came into the match on the back of two consecutive draws, including a disappointing collapse against Police FC, where they squandered a 2-0 lead.
Interim coach James Odoch, in his first game in charge, will have to wait longer for his maiden victory as his charges once again failed to convert possession into goals.
The loss leaves NEC languishing in 13th place on the 16-team log with just two points from four games, a far cry from their ambitions at the start of the campaign.
Meanwhile, Entebbe UPPC’s second win of the season propels them to seven points, placing them comfortably in the top four. Their next assignment is a massive test at home against defending champions Vipers SC on November 1, a clash that promises to measure their early-season form against the very best.