NC Liverpool make come-from-behind victory look as easy as ABC
KAIZER Chiefs coach Steve Komphela says his team will have to work even harder to get back to their winning ways after a poor start in the Absa Premiership.
“Surrendering the lead is not good at all,” admitted Komphela after having watched his side go down 2-1 to Baroka FC on Saturday, despite being 1-0 early on.
“We will continue to work hard at training until we find a solution to this kind of a problem.”
Chiefs had several good opportunities to extend the lead, before allowing Baroka to come back into the match. George Maluleka scored with a beauty after eight minutes. The lead was cancelled out already in the first half by Lewis Macha’s headed goal, after which Gift Motupa’s scorcher won it for Baroka in the second half. “We created opportunities in this game but that doesn’t count if you don’t win it,” Komphela commented.
“I thought Baroka gave us a good match and they got the goals to win. Congratulations to them.”
With the score 1-1 at the break, the match was poised for a thriller with Amakhosi looking to claim all three points in front of a half-full Moses THE BOYS from Bloemanda also known as NC Liverpool Football Club all had huge smiles on their faces on Saturday at the AR Abass stadium after they came from behind to beat Colville United 3-2 in an ABC Motsepe league encounter.
Colville had enjoyed a 2-1 first half lead in a game that started on an explosive note, probably because it was the first match of the season for both teams.
Colville featured a number of new faces in their line-up with veteran players such as Austin Jooste, his brother Riaan and Casivan Raadt who were recently signed on from William Pescod Athletic. Also in the Colville line-up was Delano Abrahams who was on his second stint at the team after he had made a detour playing for the Mamelodi Sundowns MultiChoice team.
During the game Liverpool’s Wynand Mereotlhe was very busy in the Colville goal area but was not allowed much space to manoeuvre towards the Colville goalmouth.
In the 16th minute Colville’s Nazeer Fish delivered a cross from the right into the box where Austin Jooste connected with a header and beat the goalkeeper for the first goal.
Liverpool striker Archibald Mahapa took his own chances upfront in the Colville goal area and attempted a shot which unfortunately fell squarely in the hands of the defending goalkeeper.
In the 23rd minute Colville went further ahead with their second goal through Abrahams who made it 2-0.
Just two minutes later Liverpool’s Mahapa finally sorted out his radar and with his umpteenth attempt at goal,beat the keeper and took the score to 2-1.
In the 38th minute Colville’s Lucian Badenhorst was red-carded for foul play on Mpho Mposi. This prompted Colville to make substitutions to offset the loss of the player.
Minutes later there was another (from left) Juan Cooper, Will Smith and Dimitri DeWaal. card when Liverpool’s Obakeng Ndaba was shown yellow for a bad tackle on Colville’s Liston Brouwers. The first half ended with Colville leading 2-1.
After the break the action on the pitch got the more frantic. There were several attacking moves and anumber of scoring opportunities, but the good build-ups ended in disappointment.
In the 83rd minute, however, Simphiwe Chauke brought Liverpool on par with Colville when he scored to take the scoreline to 2-2.
And five minutes later Liverpool took the heart out of Colville when they made it 3-2 to end the game when Tumelo Lecomo scored the deciding goal.
(from left) Keaotshepa Letong, Boingotlo Mothusi and Gobonamang Rakanang