07 Dec 2014

Gaborone United placed themselves in a good position to challenge for the league honours this season after beating Extension Gunners 2-1 in a be Mobile game played in Molepolole on Saturday, December 6.

Although Mapantsula started the game like a house on fire, their form was temporary since GU’s technical bench was able to read them on time, more especially the Gunners midfield which looked misplaced. Because of the apparent vacuum in the midfield, Jomo Moatlhaping was forced to drop back in order to assist thereby exposing his own position.

Although it was Gunners who won a lot of free kicks on the day, what was disturbing was that they failed to capitalize on the opportunities given that most of the players either kicked widely or did not put power.

In the 22nd minute of the game, Mandla Mgadla took a long drive, and GU Namibian international, Benson Chilongo, who seems be enjoying his stay at the reds, hit the back of the net to make it 1-0.

The goal might have demoralised the Peleng boys since they started slowing down their pace and most of the time they were chasing GU’s shadows until on the 32nd minute when Monageng Thaele made a good cross, which was finished by Jomo Moatlhaping’s brilliant header to equalise.

Immediately after the equalizer Gunners showed Gaborone United their true colours as they played with a sense of urgency looking for another goal, but lack of composure and poor decision making was their main undoing.

The game went into recess with the scoreboard reading 1-1, and, immediately after the halftime, both teams came with the same mission of scoring a winning goal.

On the 74 th minute, Kgololo Kgogobi’s well taken free kick was well trapped by Edwin Olerile who did not waste time but slotted it in to put his team in the driving seat.

Gunners tried to retaliate but alas it was not their day.The winning coach Rahman Gumbo said he was happy with his side’s performance and the fact that they were now jelling as a team.

He said GU were slowly coming together and that it was playing like a compact unit; therefore there was no doubt that it was going up the ladder.

On the other side, Gunners gaffer, Dragojlo Stanojlovic, said GU had only two chances and managed to bury them. He said, he was disappointed by GU’s second goal because clearly his defenders were out of focus.

“It was a good, strong and tactical game, and I would like to congratulate GU for their win; now the game is water under the bridge, my focus is on our next league encounter,” he said. ENDS