Birds take off in style
IF THEY had put in a semblance of this performance during the season, Swallows wouldn’t be here. But then again the threat of losing one’s livelihood can bring out the best in anyone.
Swallows were superb in beating Leopards 2-0 to draw level with the Limpopo outfit on three points at the top of the tree-team promotional playoffs, thanks to a Vuyisile Wana brace.
Solid in defence, they played cohesively and attacked with purpose against a Leopards side that impressed with their slick passing game. An uninformed observer would have been shocked to hear Swallows had actually finished second last in the elite league, such was their consummate display of purposeful football.
And central to their determined play was that good old evergreen veteran Siyabonga Nomvethe, who covered almost every blade of grass on the Dobsonville Stadium pitch. It was he who created the second goal for Wana late in the second half to make certain of victory, his superb pass sending the striker through on goal to seal the win.
The goal came as Leopards dominated the second half while looking to draw level, and killed off the visiting team’s fighting spirit.
Zeca Marques’ team had returned from the break fired up after being a goal down.
In what was arguably their best 45 minutes of the season, Swallows played purposeful football that saw them keeping Leopards on the back foot for most of the initial stanza.
And that old man Nomvethe was key to their dominance, the veteran striker toying with young Jonathan King on the left flank so much that Zeca Marques took him off just before the break.
But Swallows had already capitalised on the naiveté of the lad who came to the fore via the popular Nike The Chance programme. Gifted in the dribbling department, King continually went on forays up front, and got past his markers on a number of occasions.
But in his enthusiasm for attacking, he left a gap at the back that his teammates hardly ever closed. Swallows exploited this just after the halfhour mark, Felix Obada delivering a low cross from the right past the goalmouth to find Vuyisile Wana unamarked at the far post, where right back King should have been. All Wana had to do was tap the ball into the open goal to put Swallows ahead.
Earlier on Obada had two chances to score, but volleyed wide and then shot tamely at Avhashoni Tshinuna. Captain Lucky Baloyi then volleyed a loose ball following a corner over the bar when adding a second for the Birds looked easy.
But it was not a one-way affair, for the visitors had scoring opportunities and should have actually scored first as they created the best chance two minutes before Wana scored.
A swift attacking move that served to illustrate Leopards’ trademark passing game ended with the talismanic Siphelele Ntshangase beating two defenders to get into a scoring position.
But when he released what appeared to be a goal-bound shot, Sage Stephens – who had left his line – pulled off a splendid save by punching the ball over.
Next up for Swallows is Jomo Cosmos at the Vaal Technikon Stadium on Sunday.