Bullets Reserves in ThumbsUp League final

Nyasa Big Bullets Reserves are on the right path to ThumbsUp Southern Region Football Association (SRFA) League Premier Division title defence after a comfortable 4-0 aggregate semi-final win over Fomo FC.

Bullets Reserves registered a 3-0 home victory in the return leg at the Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre on Sunday. They won the first-leg 1-0 away at Mulanje Stadium on Thursday.

SRFA vice-general secretary Kingsley Simbeye yesterday said Reserves will face Bangwe All Stars in the final this Saturday at the Kamuzu Stadium.

The winner will earn promotion to the TNM Super League.

On Sunday, goals from  Franklin Titani, Emmanuel Saviel and Chikumbutso Salima ensured that Reserves’ maintained their unbeaten run in the second-tier league.

Said Reserves coach Enos Chatama: “We are happy with this victory and we cannot wait for the final. Although we missed a lot of scoring opportunities, we are satisfied with the result.”

But Fomo assistant coach John Majiga attributed their defeat to “poor” officiation and his charges’ struggles to play on the artificial turf.

“The referees were biased towards Reserves. Their first goal was scored from an off-side position, but they let it stand. Moreover, this was the first time we were playing on the artificial turf and it was quite a challenge for most of our players,” he said.

Reserves, powered by quick transition and some crispy passes, dominated the action right from the start, but they only got their opener in the 31st minute through Titani, who lurched onto Salima’s through ball before rounding off Fomo goalkeeper Sunganani Mponda to slot the ball home.

They doubled the lead two minutes before the break through Saviel who connected home Salima’s diagonal pass in the box to take his tally to 23 goals.

Salima finally transformed from being an assist specialist into a goal scorer eight minutes into the second half. A miscalculated back-pass by Fomo defender Oscar Manswaya landed perfectly in the path of Salima, who effortlessly slotted into the far corner.

Reserves could have scored more had they not missed a number of chances.

Fomo had at least four chances the best of which striker Hassan Luwembe missed. His thunderous effort in the first half squirmed just a few inches away from goal.