08 May 2016

 Debswana First Division North side, ECCO City Greens have thumped their counterparts from the First Division South, Rolling Boys 2-1 in a game played at the Francistown Old Stadium Saturday afternoon to inch closer to the coveted beMOBILE premiership league.

The two sides met in the first leg of the promotional play offs to the premier league and the win means that Ecco are one leg into the top league.

Both teams came as runner-ups in their respective leagues after Mahalapye Hotspurs and Black Forest were automatically promoted to the top league by virtue of being the champions of their respective league competitions.

In a post-match interview after the Saturday encounter, ECCO gaffer Texan Phiri said his charges played according to plan, save for the “needless penalty” they conceded when their goalkeeper, Innocent Selebogo brought down Kaone ‘Kario’ Molefhe inside the 18 yard area on the 40^th minute.

Phiri said his opponents were a good side but he warned them to expect little respect when they meet again on May 14 at Sir Seretse Khama Barracks grounds for the second leg match.

“We will not stay back in the second leg. We are going on an all-out attack from the word go and we want to score first so we win the second leg too,” he said confidently.

Although he lost, his counterpart at Rolling Boys, Tlhaloba Nthaga was happy with the away goal because it will work to their advantage in the second leg when they face Mamoja Diski in their own backyard.

Nthaga said his team also played well in the away game against a side they had never seen play before, adding that they were now in a better position to plan well for the second leg.

ECCO were the first to draw blood on the 27^th minute through their reliable striker, Oarabile Powe’s powerful left foot after being set through by Lovers Mofokeng.

Rolling Boys had come into the game dictating terms and forcing ECCO’s defence, manned by the likes of Mosimanegape Mokiya, Walter Moyo and Malepa Bolelang, to commit mistakes that nearly cost them dearly.

Molefhe was unlucky not to have scored at one point after managing to beat ECCO’s off side trap and when he was about to go past Selebogo, Mokiya was there to deny him as he cleaned up just in time.

Rolling Boys equalised through a penalty taken by Kgaodi Odirile on the 40^th minute after Selebogo had brought  down Molefhe inside the 18 yard area.

After halftime, both sides went for each other, with few of the chances that came easily thwarted by both goalkeepers.

Onkemetse ‘Manando’ Powe forced Rolling Boys’ Molebeledi Gabohwe to handle the ball inside the box on the 61^st minute and this led to a penalty, which was easily converted by Galebose Masala to win the game for ECCO.

The second leg in SSKB is expected to be fireworks as Rolling Boys would want to use the away goal and home advantage to thwart all of ECCO’s chances for a win. ENDS