… pressure on Be Forward Wanderers to close gap…
Nyasa Big Bullets moved to the brink of the TNM Super League title with a comfortable 2-0 win over Dwangwa United at Kamuzu Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The league leaders opened up a four point lead over second placed Silver Strikers with three games in hand.
A strike in each half from Chimango Kayira and Chiukepo Msowoya welcomed their new coach Kalisto Pasuwa with a win and eased pressure on the entire technical panel after a bad spell of not scoring goals in open play in more than three games.
The match was dull especially in the first 30 minutes, with Bullets controlling the midfield through Kayira and Mike Mkwate but to unlock Dwangwa United’s defense proved too difficult.
However, the hosts managed to find their opening goal in the 39th minute through Kayira’s rebound from Emmanuel Zoya’s throw-in, 1-0.
The visitors were using one striker in Hassan Upindi as such, they created few goal scoring opportunities in the entire opening half.
Bullets should have had another goal but MacPhallen Ngwira blasted his effort over the cross bar from a close range.
In the second half, it only took 46 seconds for Bullets to double their lead in brilliant fashion.
An exchange of passes from Mkwate, Kayira and Enerst Petro ended with Msowoya scoring a beauty from the edge of the penalty box when Charles Thom in goals for the visitors was caught napping in the line of duty.
Bullets had to make two quick changes, bringing in Patrick Phiri and Bright Munthali for Petro and the injured Msowoya.
The rookies also brought in Innocent Manganyera for Patrick Macheso as the midfield battle intensified between Kayira and Ben Manyozo.
The visitors almost pulled one back when goalkeeper Ernest Kakhobwe misplaced a back pass only to be saved by Bashir Maunde who arrived on the ball before Upindi.
The log leaders produced another moment of brilliance through Mkwate, Munthali and Phiri but failed to put the ball into the back of the net after an intervention from Mathews Zaulombo and Ganizani James in defence.
Munthali and Phiri, who had a very quite afternoon, both missed excellent chances to put the visitors to the sword following some brilliant passes from Mkwate.
Pasuwa made his final substitution of the day by introducing Nelson Kangunje for Henry Kabichi.
Munthali should have grabbed his 9th goal of the league season after he was fed in the box by Phiri, but he found the side-netting instead of the back of the net.
At the other end, Kakhobwe was caught sleeping in the line of duty again when he misplaced yet another back pass from Maunde only to be saved by Zoya.
Dwangwa United’s Thom made an excellent stop from Kangunje and then did superbly to thwart Munthali when the striker wanted a fraction too long on the ball.
Bullets pressed harder for more goals but their front men failed to add more to their name and 90 minutes on the clock, 2-0 nil it ended.
The win takes Bullets to 55 points from 23 games with three games in hand over second placed Silver Strikers who dropped two vital points at their own backyard.
The Bankers fired blank in their goalless draw to Moyale Barracks to put their title hopes in jeopardy with four games to play.
With Wanderers on bay, the Bankers failed to extend their lead over the 2017 league champions by dropping two more important points in the title race.
The draw sees them maintaining their position in the standings with 51 points but they have played three games more than Bullets and four games more than Wanderers who are likely to return to action next weekend.
However, they will play their remaining games with more pressure in order to reduce Bullets’ 10 point lead as the league title battle has reached its boiling point.
Nyasa Big Bullets 2018 is play very well than other teams.