Sapholda Hockey League: Exchequers extend lead, GRA Royal Ladies retain title
The Exchequers of Bank of Ghana tightened their grip on the Sapholda Greater Accra Region Hockey League crown after opening a four-point cushion at the top of the table, while GRA Royal Ladies underlined their dominance by completing a flawless title defence in the women’s division.
At the Theodosia Okoh Stadium last Saturday, the defending men’s champions edged closer to back-to-back triumphs with a clinical 2-0 victory over Legon Knights, taking their tally to 23 points.
Their nearest pursuers, a resurgent Ghana Army side, notched their fifth successive win by edging Reformers of Prisons 2-1, but still trail the Bankers by four points.
The GRA Men, who sat out the weekend, slipped to third on 18 points but remain in the hunt with a game in hand as the season hurtles towards a tense finish.
Police, in fourth, saw their faint title hopes all but extinguished after a 2-2 draw with bottom side Ark Men, leaving them on 16 points with just three matches left, compared to Exchequers’ two.
Reformers stayed fifth with 12 points, Ark Men climbed to three points but remain winless and Legon Knights languish at the foot with just two points to their name.
In the women’s competition, it was business as usual for the unstoppable GRA Royal Ladies, who made it nine wins from nine with a narrow 1-0 triumph over Extinguishers.
Having wrapped up the title a week earlier with two games to spare, the reigning African champions are already fine-tuning preparations for the defence of their continental crown, yet still found enough to preserve their perfect record on home turf.
Army Ladies secured second place on 19 points after dispatching winless Legon Knights Ladies 3-0, finishing four points clear of Police Ladies, who beat Prisons Ladies 2-1 but will have to settle for third spot.
With just one round of matches left in the campaign, Prisons, Extinguishers and Knights Ladies remain rooted to the lower reaches of the standings, while GRA Royal Ladies once again stand tall as peerless queens of Ghanaian hockey.
