Civil Service United’s quest to collect six maximum points in their two assignments in Karonga got off to a perfect start after overcoming Chitipa United 2-1 in a TNM Super League match on Saturday.
Goals from Muhamad Sulumba and a 90th minute header from Blessings Tembo were enough to ensure the collection of all the three points.
Muhamad Byson had earlier equalized for the hosts who will count themselves unfortunate to at least not to have picked up a point in the counter that they dominated for a majority of the 90 minutes.
The match played in front of a sizable crowd at the Karonga Stadium saw the visitors fly out from their blocks by taking an early lead through a cool taken finish by Sulumba after a flowing team move in the 6th minute leaving the home side’s goalkeeper Mossa Matawale rooted to his spot.
However, Chitipa who were searching for a first league win of the season never let the early setback of conceding the opener dwell their confidence as they took control of the game.
In the 22nd minute of the match the hosts pressure finally was rewarded as an excellent team move was finished off by an impressive Byson with a ruthless finish past a helpless Charles Swim.
In the second half, the home side continued to pile on the pressure on the visitors however a mixture of a lack of composure and wastefulness in front of goal got the better of them as chance after chance went begging.
In the 90th minute of the encounter, Chitipa’s profligacy in front of goal was ruthlessly punished by the Lilongwe based giants as Blessings Tembo pounced from a corner to nod in a late winner to the shock belief of the partisan home faithful.
Speaking in a post-match interview, Chitipa United’s assistant coach Nathaniel Mkamanga bemoaned his charges’ profligacy in front of goal contributing it to the defeat.
“We have no one to blame for this loss apart from ourselves as we missed a lot of chances to win the game and if you do not take your chances at this level you can be punished and that is what happened to us today,” said a frustrated Mkamanga.
His counterpart Elia Kananji hailed his boys for sticking to the game plan to emerge victors in a tough encounter.
“Of course we were not at our fluent best but we did not have to be as our experience got us through over the line despite the pressure on our goal,” he explained,” he said.
With the win Civil have climbed up to third on the log table with 11 points from 5 matches while Chitipa remain rooted at the foot of the table with a single point to their name from 6 games.
