Ekhaya FC’s visit to the capital ended in frustration, as Silver Strikers claimed a 3-1 victory in Saturday’s TNM Super League clash at Silver Stadium, despite a spirited late rally from the Cowboys.
Charles Chipala and Chinsinsi Maonga won the first half for the hosts with a goal each. Uchizi Vunga added a third soon after the break before captain Andrew Lameck pulled one back late it in the tie.
How it unfolded
Dominance constantly shifted to both sides in the opening minutes. As the tie grew, the hosts saw more of the ball but never really threatened with their play swinging side ways.
After a balanced opening half-hour with few clear-cut chances, the deadlock was broken in the 38th minute.
Substitute Charles Chipala made an instant impact for the Bankers, reacting quickest to a scramble in the box to slot home the opener.
Just five minutes later, Chinsisi Maonga doubled the hosts’ lead on the stroke of halftime (45+3), putting Ekhaya under serious pressure heading into the break.
Things went from bad to worse shortly after the restart when Uchizi Vunga made it 3-0 for the defending champions with a well-placed low strike from outside the area in the 53rd minute.
The Cowboys responded with attacking changes, bringing on Mwatchipisa and Mbeta at the hour mark, and began to grow into the game, with Lungu providing a bright spark down the left. He created a golden opportunity for Stanley Billiat, who unfortunately sent his effort over the bar.
The hosts made substitutions of their own to absorb the pressure, but Ekhaya were finally rewarded for their efforts in the 81st minute.
After winning a penalty, captain Andrew Lameck stepped up and calmly converted from the spot, pulling one back for the visitors.
Despite the late goal and improved second-half showing, it wasn’t enough to undo the earlier damage.
The defeat sees Ekhaya fall short against the defending champions, but the Cowboys will take heart from their late push and look to bounce back in their next fixture when we play Mafco FC at home.
What it means
Today’s result sees a swap in standings between the two sides. We drop from third to fourth, while Silver Strikers climb to third, both teams now sitting on 23 points.
While we have just one match remaining in the first round, the Area 47 side still have three to play.
Coming Up
We’ll aim to bounce back at home in our final first-round fixture, as we host Mafco FC.
