FCB Nyasa Bullets yesterday ended Mighty Wanderers’ past season four-game dominance against them and moved to the FDH Bank Premiership summit following a 1-2 Blantyre derby victory at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe.
Bullets went into the pulsating clash with a strong will to avoid a fifth-consecutive defeat by the Nomads in over a year in all competitions and they did it with goals in either half through defender Blessings Mpokera’s penalty and forward Maxwell Gasten Phodo’s strike.
Wanderers pulled one back through Promise Kamwendo’s second-half spot-kick.
Bullets’ Emmanuel Kaunga.
| Arkangel Tembo, Mana
The victory means Bullets have displaced Civil Service United of Lilongwe from the top of the 16-team log-table on better goal aggregate following a tie on seven points.
“After losing to Wanderers in the NBS Bank Charity Shield, we did a postmoterm and came up with a plan on how to beat them. With this win, we will now start believing in ourselves,” said Bullets coach Gilbert Chirwa.
Wanderers are now ninth with three points from two games, the same points as 10th-placed Chitipa United, who have played a game more.
In his post-match interview, the Nomads assistant coach McDonald Mtetemera said: “We made some mistakes which I and fellow technical members know. We will go back and work in those areasso that we can come back stronger. Congratulations to Bullets.”
Yesterday, Bullets broke the deadlock as early as the fifth minute when Mpokera scored from the spot after striker Ephraim Kondowe was fouled in the box.
Phodo extended the People’s Team lead in the 58th minute after heading home Mpokera’s well-taken corner-kick.
Wanderers narrowed the gap three minutes later as Kamwendo converted a penalty that resulted from a handball by a Bullets defender in the box.
As the game progressed, tempers flared and it was no surprise when Wanderers attacker Gaddie Chirwa and Phodo were shown red cards in the 77th minute after they resorted to sort out their differences physically.
Despite massive pressure from Wanderers, Bullets held on to their lead and secured Blantyre City bragging rights.
In another interesting affair in the capital city yesterday, Blue Eagles FC dented Silver Strikers FC’s 100 percent winning record with a 1-0 beating at Civo Stadium.
Prior to the defeat, Silver had two-straight wins, 4-1 against Moyale Barracks of Mzuzu and 2-0 against Kamuzu Barracks of Lilongwe.
Following the result, Silver have dropped to third with six points just like Masters FC, who lie fourth.
Eagles have moved to fifth with six points from three games while Red Lions thrashed hosts Goshen City Dedza Dynamos 3-0 at Dedza Stadium to move to sixth place on the ladder with five points from three outings.
Strugglers Kamuzu Barracks and Karonga United settled for a one-all draw at Champion Stadium in Mponela Dowa. They have a point each after three and two matches, respectively.
Dynamos anchor the table on inferior goal difference as they also have the same one point as 15th-placed Kamuzu Barracks, 14th-placed Ekhaya FC and 13th-placed Karonga.
