BLANTYRE(MaraviPost)—Big Bullets came from behind twice to salvage a 2-all draw with Silver Strikers on Sunday in the country’s TNM Super League at the Kamuzu Stadium, wasting their chances again of displacing league leaders Moyale Barracks.
Silver led twice through goals in each half from Ndaziwona Chatsalira and substitute Mada Chiumia, but were pegged back by Henry Kabichi’s solo effort and Dalitso Sailesi late goal.
Despite Silver conceding a late equalizer, it’s Bullets who will be left to rue dropping two points after dominating most of the game and several times missing clear chances.
The hosts kept on invading the Bankers’ half, putting the defence led by Lucky Malata under siege and goalkeeper Blessings Kameza was the busiest person in the field of play. James Chilapondwa, Victor Limbani, Dalitso Sailesi and Henry Kabichi controlled the midfield and Silver’s Frank Banda, Young Chimodzi and Ndaziwona Chatsalira failed to justify their existence in the Flames’ squad as they were completely reduced to shadows.
In the first 10 minutes the game concentrated in the Silver’s half. No wonder Silver’s talisman Chawanangwa took several minutes to have his first touch of the ball.
However, the game saw the Bullets’ strikers in the name of Mussa Manyenje and Jimmy Zakazaka failing to get it right in the goal area as goalie Kameza kept on frustrating their efforts with his brilliant saves in tete-a-tete situations.
The Lilongwe based giants did not have to wait for Kananji to sharpen his strikers and in the 35th minute they broke the deadlock as Kawonga fired a shot from the edge of the box which was parried out by Bullets goalie Chimwemwe Kunkwawa and Chatsalira reacted quickly to fire home the loose ball.
The lead proved short-lived as within four minutes the Palestinians leveled the score line through Henry Kabichi who also had a grand game.
Come second half, Silver continued where they left and grabbed the lead for the second time through substitute Mada Chiumia who stabbed the ball home from close range after goalkeeper Kunkwawa saved Kawonga’s shot.
As the Bankers thought they had crossed the Jordan River, talented Malawi Under-20 player Dalitso Sailesi showed them the real side of Bullets by scoring from far in the injury time, making it 2-2.
The goal sent the Bullets supporters into wild celebrations as ‘Ganyu’ supporters left the country’s giant stadium in disbelief.
After the match assistant coach for Bullets had this to say: “Really, it was nice, very tense, and very aggressive. It was a game of halves; we played and dominated in the first half. We had chances and we could have killed the game in the first half.
“We could have gone 3-1 in the first half but we didn’t utilize chances we created. Our friends created few scoring chances and they utilized them. But here we are, we have secured a draw because our team is a 90-94 minutes side.”
His opposite number Stain Chirwa praised his charges for securing four points from away games.
“Definitely we have drawn a game we could have won but remember a game is 90 minutes. We conceded in the dying minutes but I believe overall performance my boys played well. Four points; we are satisfied.
“We are coming from the Lower Shire where it was just too hot yesterday. Our friends did not play. They had a fair advantage over us. But all in all getting four points from two away games isn’t bad,” said Chirwa.
The result has pushed Silver Strikers to position 7 with 21 points while Bullets have maintained their second position with 37 points, trailing behind league leaders Moyale Barracks by inferior goal difference.
In other games, Blue Eagles beat Blantyre United 2-1 at Kalulu Stadium, Azam Tigers whacked Karonga United 4-1 in Mzuzu while Epac suffered a 2-0 defeat at the hands of the Salima based soldiers, Mafco.
