Wanderers Ladies hold ‘Birds’ after comeback
Swallows Ladies ........ 2
Nelile 6th, Dieter 22nd (pen) Wanderers Ladies .... 2
Temcanco 52nd, Cebile 90th BABANE – A late goal from the away side, Manzini Wanderers Ladies, saw Mbabane Swallows Ladies slip to a disappointing home draw after missing a host of scoring chances yesterday.
The two rivals clashed in their Eswatini Women Football League (EWFL) first round match in the capital city.
In the last two seasons, there had been no winner between these two and this tie turned no different but a case of so near, yet so far for Swallows.
MHEROINE
Wanderers’ Cebile Maseko who beat the goalkeeper Hlamusa Somisile to the near post with a well struck free kick from the right edge of the box was the heroine for the maroon and white ladies and the heartbreaker for the home team.
No tie breaker once again as Wanderers
struck right at the death to earn a point, otherwise Temcanco Mahlalela scored their first goal seven minutes into the second-half.
She fired home from close range, giving the goalie no chance as they punished Swallows for wasting a string of scoring chances.
The host team had broken the deadlock early inside the opening 10 minutes through Nelile Mnisi, who was quick enough to brilliantly steal the ball ahead of advancing goalkeeper Khanyisile Mvubu after a back pass gone wrong by defender Temlandvo Magongo.
DOMINATED
Swallows had deservedly gone ahead as they were dominated for prolonged periods of the match.
Magongo’s nightmare continued as 22 minutes later, she handled the ball inside the box and the referee correctly pointed to the spot, from where midfielder Dieter Anna comfortably beat the goalkeeper as he sent him the wrong way to make it 2-0 before the half-hour mark.
There were several missed chances by Swallows who could have won by a cricket score. It was in the second-half that Wanderers came back with intent and were rewarded early into the half before their 90th minute strike.