Galaxy Fail To Close In On Rollers
Kabelo Boranabi | Monday January 21, 2019 12:34
Galaxy were granted a chance to close the gap to just two points after Rollers were held by Notwane on Friday evening. But Galaxy faced a very resilient Sharps side that came from behind on two occasions.
It was Galaxy who showed their intentions early on as they camped inside the opposition half in the first minutes but could not find the breakthrough. On the fifth minute, Atisang Batsi showed a touch of class and laid for Gilbert Baruti with a back-heeled pass. Baruti went for a curler from outside the box, but Thabiso Mathe was well aware of the danger. Baruti, who was a thorn in the flesh, was brought down inside the box in the 14th minute, but the referee waved away the appeal.
A minute later, Patrick Kaunda’s shot missed the bottom corner by a whisker. Seven minutes later, Baruti went wide.
The visitors caught Sharps napping, Kaunda centred for Thero Setsile who tapped in to give his side the lead on the 24th minute, scoring his eighth goal of the season. The goal triggered Sharps to push forward, but were poor in the final third as debutant, Takunda Sadiki proved a lone ranger in the team’s frontline. The teams went to break with Galaxy leading 1-0.
In the first minute of the second half, Sadiki beat the offside trap and superbly lobbed over the advancing keeper to mark his debut with a goal. Five minutes later, yet another break by Sharps and Allen Ndodole laid for Sadiki whose shot was superbly saved by Ezekiel Morake. Galaxy took the lead in the 76th minute, when Setsile turned provider with a cross for Kaunda whose header was parried back into play by Mathe, but referee adjudged the ball had crossed the line. Sharps were quick to respond, two minutes later as substitute Charles Mujokeri levelled matters with a thunderbolt from outside the box.
Two minutes to time, another substitute Letlhogonolo Chenjela had a chance to give Sharps the lead after he outwitted his marker, but shot straight at the keeper while at the other end Mathe superbly denied Setsile with both sides forced to share spoils. “My boys played well. In football there are errors and that’s where the opposition capitalises. I am happy that we managed to control the game the way we did. Our plan was to deny them the ball.
“We know that they are good at keeping the ball so we wanted to close them down in the middle of the park,” Sharps’ coach, Kentse Motlhale said after the game.
His counterpart, Galaxy’s Miguel da Costa was not a happy man after his side let the lead slip on two occasions. “It was a good game. We played well in the first 30 minutes and we should have scored more goals in the first half. “We cannot concede a goal a minute after scoring. It is impossible, even their first goal we did not defend well,” he said.
The Teams
Sharps: Mathe, Bakani Madaiza, Mothusi Luzile (Letlhogonolo Chenjela), Monageng Thaele, Lawrence Ndunga (Tshepo Mbulawa), Ndodole (Mujokeri), Kaene Shabani, Emmanuel Nlu, Khumo Bogale, Sakidi, Khumoetsile Kufingwa
Galaxy: Morake, Isaac Paeye, Fortunate Thulare, Gofaone Molapi, Moagi Sechele, Lebogang Ditsele, Olebogeng Malebye, Baruti (Wilfred Dithwane), Setsile, Kaunda, Batsi (Tebogo Sembowa)
Cautions: Thaele, Molapi
Sharps 2 (Sadiki 46th, Mujokeri 78th)
Galaxy 2 (Setsile 24th, Kaunda 76th)