Bullets, Silver survive scare

Yasa Big Bullets survived a scare yesterday when they came from 1-3 down to force a three-all draw against 10-man Red Lions at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre in a six-goal thriller.

It was also the same story in Lilongwe, where leaders Silver Strikers fired blanks as resilient Epac FC denied them an opportunity to stretch their lead at the summit.

Bullets would have leapfrogged the Bankers on the TNM Super League table if they had won against Lions.

Yet the People’s Team escaped the jaws of defeat by the skin of their teeth as they had to come from behind to force a draw in a match Lions played for almost 55 minutes with 10 men following a red card to Loti Chawinga.

Coincidentally, Epac also played with 10 men for 69 minutes after Kelvin Thotho was red carded in the 21st minute.

Silver coach Lovemore Fazili was left frustrated.

“We had the opportunity to kill the game, but we just could not score. It’s disappointing,” said Fazili.

Epac, on the other hand, was satisfied with the draw.

“Playing with 10 men and managing a draw against Silver is a good result,” said Epac coach Audrey Makonyola.

At Kamuzu Stadium, Bullets scored two goals in the last 20 minutes of the match to restore parity.

Kelvin Katema put Lions in front with a header in the 28th minute following mcpeter Makwale free kick.

Chawinga scored Lions’ second goal on the counterattack seven minutes later.

Bullets pulled one back five minutes later through Muhammad Sulumba.

But Makwale drove in a close-range thunderbolt to make it 3-1.

Chiukepo Msowoya headed in Bullets’ second goal in the 69th minute before Collen Nkhulambe restored parity with a glancing header 10 minutes before time.

Bullets coach Mabvuto Lungu said they were lucky to have escaped defeat.

“This was probably our toughest match so far in the second round,” he said.

But Lions’ coach Pritchard Mwansa blamed the referee for “spoiling” the game with poor officiation.

In Mzuzu, Karonga United suffered a 1-0 defeat to Mzuzu University (Mzuni) FC. n