Rollers falter again

THATO KALA
Correspondent | Monday December 6, 2010 00:00

 

Rollers had a bad day but managed a scrappy draw thanks to substitute Thando Moreki's 61st minute equaliser.

The disappointing draw came exactly a week after Police XI brought Rollers' 12-match unbeaten streak to a halt.

TASC took the lead in the 59th minute through second half substitute Perseverance Sibanda.

The Zimbabwean striker had an easy task of tapping the ball into the net after Godfrey Opelo's shot was cleared from the line. The Francistown outfit could have easily won the game had Opelo converted the several chances that came his way. They dominated in the middle of the park, with Mthandazo Mathonsi putting up yet another five-star performance. They got their first scoring opportunity 17 minutes into the first half when Cameroonian midfielder Guy Landry Tchapet set up Opelo. With only the goalkeeper to beat, he sent his effort wide. After the breather, Opelo could have given TASC a second goal but his header was tipped over the bar by an alert Kabelo Dambe in Rollers' goal. A minute later, the striker came face to face with the goalkeeper but failed to score.

Rollers also had their chances but their strikers could not convert. Zambian striker Mweuka Musonda had a good chance to score for Rollers but he produced a feeble shot that went straight to the goalkeeper.  Musonda was back in the TASC goal area after a good exchange with captain Joel Mogorosi but his chip was cleared off the line.

Rollers equalised in the 61st after TASC goalkeeper Itumeleng Selapa failed to deal with Edwin Olerile's inch-perfect cross, allowing an unmarked Moreki to head in.     Rollers' coach, Wesley Mondo, was clearly a disappointed man after the game. He blamed injuries for the drab performance. 'We failed to play our usual game because most of our players were playing with injuries.

When you play with injuries, you cannot give a 100 percent performance; so that affected us,' said Mondo in a post-match interview. His opposite number, Seth Moleofhi, was unhappy with the refereeing. His most outstanding player, Mathonsi, believes they could have collected maximum points from the game. 'We came into the game as underdogs and a draw against the champions is a great result for us. We deserved to win this game but we failed to utilise our chances,' said Mathonsi.

Line-upsRollers: Dambe, Mogomotsi Kerebotswe, Olerile, Pius Kolagano, Oscar Ncenge, Lawrence Majawa, Mogorosi, Mohammed Chawila (Lerato Botshelo 39), Abednico Powell (Moreki 41), Onalethata Tshekiso, Mweuka Musonda

TASC: Selapa, Oneeleng Letsweletse, Obey Kgomo, Moroka Moroka, Ramosoka Ramateke, Andrew Thebe, Onkabetse Kgaogano (Kabo Ogoletse 36), Tchapet (Sibanda 58), Mathonsi, Opelo, Victor Watlala,

 Man of the match: Mathonsi Officials Gaotebale Malete (centre official) Molehanyi Kobagile (first assistant) Bakwena Semonkalele (second assistant) Tshepo Rahube (match commissioner).