Goalkeeper Hannington Sebwalunyo scored a dramatic late penalty as NEC FC defeated URA FC 1-0 in matchday 22 of the StarTimes Uganda Premier League.

In the match played under the floodlights at MTN-Omondi Stadium in Lugogo, NEC relied on Sebwalunyo’s spot-kick deep into added time to secure victory and maintain their unbeaten run this year.

The result marked back-to-back league wins for NEC FC, while URA FC suffered consecutive defeats.

The first half was largely uneventful, with both sides adopting a cautious approach as they went into the break goalless.

After the restart, the tempo increased as both teams made tactical changes in search of a breakthrough.

In the 90th minute, URA’s Joseph Ssemujju and NEC’s James Jarieko both missed clear opportunities to break the deadlock.

However, in stoppage time, Jarieko was brought down inside the box, earning NEC a penalty.

With outfield players hesitant over who would take the spot-kick, goalkeeper Sebwalunyo stepped up and took responsibility.

He calmly fired a powerful shot into the top right corner to hand NEC all three points in dramatic fashion.

It was a rare moment, but Sebwalunyo, an experienced goalkeeper and team leader, showed composure and confidence to convert the decisive penalty.

Notably, he had previously scored in a similar situation during NEC’s penalty shootout defeat to Vipers in the Uganda Cup quarterfinals.

The victory lifts NEC FC to fifth place on the table with 37 points, while URA FC remain 11th with 22 points, just six above the relegation zone.

In their next fixtures, URA FC will host BUL FC on 16 April, while NEC FC will take on Maroons on 18 April.

Matchday 22 continues on Friday, with Lugazi hosting Entebbe UPPC, while Kitara face Vipers in the late kickoff.