Draw Masters: Silver frustrated by lowly Blantyre United

Silver Strikers missed the chance to cut the gap on league leaders Be forward Wanderers as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Blantyre United at the Chilomoni Stadium.

Ironically it was a day which saw leaders Wanderers drop two points at bottom club Chitipa United in a barren draw with second placed Silver doing likewise against a team sitting second from bottom.

A win for the Bankers would have reduced the gap with Wanderers to 3 points but United midfielder Cuthbert Sineta denied them the 3 points by cancelling out Levison Maganizo’s first half strike on 55 minutes.

Saturday’s match came barely hours after United owner and sponsor Lawson Nakoma dropped a bombshell, by announcing he has quit the club after reportedly being frustrated by the county’s football administrators.

But reading from the body language, the boys were by no means put off by the news as they dominated the first half but as usual could not take their chances.

No wonder they got stunned on 32 minutes, when maganizo put the visitors ahead, against the run of play with a cracking drive from inside the box.

Tawonga Malenga should have easily levelled matters few minutes later but his glancing header from a Sineta cross went marginally wide from six yards out.

Malenga, Sineta, Ibrahim Sadik and Victor Nyirenda combined well for United in attack to the endurance of Silver goalkeeper Brighton Munthali who was backed by a back four marshalled by Nigerian defender Yinusa Sheriff.

United coach MacDonald Mtetemera made 2 changes at the start of the second half throwing on striker Tony Mbulu for winger Medson Kachepa and midfielder Rafik Juma in place of captain Yamikani Tambala.

Mbulu made an instant impact teeing up Sineta who left footed the equaliser 10 minutes into the second half.

Silver coach responded to the goal with 3 substitutions, one after another.

They sacrificed the goal scorer Maganizo for Timothy Chitedze while Thuso Paipi who had a quite afternoon by his standards made way for Duncan Nyoni.

Binwell Katinji was then replaced by Ghanaian Michael Tete to partner the league’s leading scorer Mathew Sibale on his return from suspension.

Sibale however failed to sparkle under the close supervision of United defender Aubrey Chafewa.

No clear chances followed as both sides huffed and puffed to no avail.

The draw was United’s second of the final round and does not change anything regarding their position, as they remain second from bottom level on 12 points with Chitipa who anchor the table.

However coach Mtetemera said half bread is better than none.

“We would have loved to get all the 3 points as we continue to battle relegation, but a point is not too bad either. We will build on today’s impressive performance to try and get something out of the 7 remaining matches,” said Mtetemera.

Silver team manager Francis Songo was left disappointed with his team’s performance and result.

“The perfomance wasn’t good as we failed to create enough chances. This is not the result we were looking for to enhance our title aspirations. But this does not put a dent on our title charge, will have to bounce back in Sunday’s date against Red lions,” said Songo.

The Silver team manager refused to celebrate the team’s unbeaten record saying: “We are not interested in the unbeaten record when we can’t collect maximum points.”

The bankers who have the most league draws this far, maintain a 5 point gap behind Wanderers but should they fail to beat Red lions on Sunday with third placed Nyasa big Bullets overcoming Blue Eagles, they will be leapfrogged by Bullets on goal difference.