New Look Miscellaneous Hold Onto Marginal Win

Koketso Kgoboge | Monday August 27, 2018 13:33

At the Serowe Sports Complex on Saturday afternoon, the club that performed above expectations towards a fourth place in the past campaign, is trying to refine a squad after they were forced into an overhaul in the off-season when they lost over half of the first team players due to financial challenges.

 Miscellaneous started the encounter on the back foot and let the visitors control the tempo of the game that amassed a poor attendance. Forest created a few chances, but their marksman Godknows Mutina had left his scoring boots behind.

Until the hosts scored on top of the hour mark, they were found wanting and could not knit three passes.  Their lucky escape came from Bokani Leeto’s long cross towards the far end.

The goalkeeper misjudged the flight of the ball and his attempt to fist it away set Morwamang against an open goalpost and he tapped home to take the lead.  After the goal, they endured a better spell until the break. They struck again on top of the opening minute of the second half. Morwamang had lurched onto a long pass on the right wing and was fouled on top of the 18-yard line.

 Leeto rolled the resulting free kick to Kgano in front of the box; he controlled once and unleashed a cracker that rattled the crossbar before bouncing inside the goal line.  The referee did not hesitate to give a goal and that ruffled the feathers of Magoleng coach, Bakanuki Maseko and his players that instantaneously surrounded the match official in protest. Maseko complained that the referee was against them. “That is a silly goal to give. Unfortunately, he (referee) is part of the game. “We took a slight confidence knock after that goal and when we recovered, it was already late.

We also failed to take advantage of the chances we created,” Maseko said.

When the second half grew old, Forest pressed a tiring Miscellaneous into the back foot and forced multiple defensive errors but failed to profit. On the 73rd-minute Maikano Maikano failed to control the cross in the 16-yard when the defender was caught napping, he watched as the ball agonisingly slid out wide. He made up for the mistake a minute later when he received a pass on the left side of the box and beat the goalkeeper with a superb low drive to the far corner.

 Donald Botshoma could have equalised when he found himself unmarked on blindside, but shot wide.   Koketso Majafi also had a chance inside the box, but was indecisive and the defender did enough to nudge him off balance. Miscellaneous resorted to pumping the balls up front and out to protect their lead. Their coach, Otsile Koolese was happy with the win. He blamed fatigue in the lack of pre-season training. He said the team is relatively new and they are trying combinations. “We have not had pre-season training and that is a huge minus, but we are working on making up for lost time.”

 

Line Ups

Miscellaneous: Tshepho Mooketsi, Thabo Mosielele, Kgakgamatso Ramatshosa, Chicco Molefe, Bokani Loeto, Mponang Mponang, Mooketsi Gareonne, Simon Osupile (Mucheka Longwane), Kaelo Kgano (Thusang Mokgethi), Atang Morwamang, Moyenga Chakova

Forest: Thabo Race, Goabaone Mogorosi, Thabo Ngada, Basiamisi Sebapolo, Kerapetse Mosimanekgosi, Koketso Majafi, Mogomotsi Kerebotswe, Thobo Gaboduelwe (Jobe Letsweletse), Donald Botshoma (Gobona Ramotlhwa), Tiro Pheresi (Maikano Maikano), Godknows Mutina

Cautions: Kerebotswe, Ramatshosa, Mooketsi