Last Gasp Strike Sinks Battling Miscellaneous
Koketso Kgoboge | Monday November 12, 2018 12:57
Moyagoleele started the encounter oozing with sheer confidence. They were calm and controlled the opening minutes while the hosts appeared too submissive and showing a lot of respect to their opponents.
GU earned their first corner just the second minute from the start. Even though they knocked on the Miscellaneous goalmouth from the start, the vigilance of Miscellaneous defence upset their attempts at goal.
It took Dirang Moloi’s brilliance to crack open Miscellaneous’ seemingly impenetrable defence.
On the 22nd-minute after a good combination with Boipelo Oaitse, Moloi set Obonwe Maome with a trademark pass, and the pint-sized winger plucked into the top far corner to break the impasse.
Miscellaneous had a chance to level matters 10 minutes later. Takunda Sadiki curled a well-weighed corner into the box, but Goitseone Phoko parried onto the feet of Miscellaneous midfielder Mooketsi Gareonne, who was agonisingly too flat-footed to take advantage.
On the 37th-minute, Moloi received a pass at the left end and bypassed a defender into the 18th-yard where he rolled another trademark pass to Mandla Mgadla in the penalty area, for the latter drill a shot into the roof of the net.Two minutes later, Miscellaneous was handed a spot-kick when Godwin Bonsu impeded the recently introduced Atang Morwamang inside the box.
Mponang Mponang sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to reduce the deficit before the break.
From the dugout, Miscellaneous turned the tables. They rained chances at Phoko’s goalposts.
In the series of attacks, three minutes into the half, Sadiki dribbled his way past a defender but Phoko, was quick off the line to block for a corner.
In the next attempt, Sadiki pounced on a back pass but the remarkable Phoko was alert to avert the danger.Phoko’s resilience was broken on the 10th-minute into the half. Chicco Molefe posted a low cross into the box, and the unmarked Morwamang tapped in from the penalty area.
The visitors struggled for a breather as Miscellaneous piled pressure with one sortie after another.
The game shifted from the sparkling display of Moloi in the first half to the brilliance of Phoko who afterwards received a deserved praise from his coach, Phillimon Makhwengwe.
“He was absolutely brilliant. He kept us in the game when our opponents were all over us. He saved point-blank opportunities,” Makhwengwe gushed of Phoko.
The tempo was too high for the better of the second half and it took a toll on relentless Miscellaneous.
When their legs became heavy at the death of the half, Moloi, who was in a slumber, stirred awake. On the 40th minute, he picked Kabamba with a pinpoint cross, and the striker headed inches out.
Maome then found the striker with an identical cross from the other end, but again,Kabamba could not find the goalpost.
Moloi was denied a penalty when he waltzed past the defenders into the box and was clearly fouled; instead, he was yellow carded for simulation.
With their final attempt, Gaopatwe Seosenyeng cushioned a header onto the path of Kabamba, the striker made no mistake and sent his supporters into delirious celebrations.
“It was a tough encounter, beautiful football by Miscellaneous, a very good representation of the northern football. It took mental strength to win this game,” Makhwengwe said after the game. His counterpart, Otsile Koolese was seething at lost opportunities.
“This is the third game now we gave away. We do everything to the textbook, but we just can’t put the ball in the back of the net. I think we lack a marksman. Someone who can sit there and score a goal,” he said.
The teams:
Miscellaneous: Basimanebotlhe Moilwa, Loeto, Chicco Molefe, Mponang, Thabo Mosielele, Simon Osupile, Chakova Moyenga (Kago Mothibinyane), Gareonne, Sadiki, Bhekuyise Kunene, Kgakgamatso Ramatshosa (Morwamang)
Gaborone United: Phoko, Goitseone Legopelo, Gasegonna Molapisi, Seosenyeng,Bonsu, Alphonse Modisaotsile, Mgadla (Kabamba), Ogomoditse Bauleni (Jackie Motlhatlego), Oaitse (Karabo Setoutwe), Dirang, Maome
Cautions: Bonsu, Moloi, Phoko
Miscellaneous 2 (Mponang 39th, Morwamang)
Gaborone United 3 (Maome 22nd, Mgadla 37th, Kabamba 40th)