Bullets win thriller as stunning comeback downs Servants

FCB Nyasa Big Bullets produced a brilliant comeback from two goals down to win the game 3-2 against Civil Service United, making it 24 wins against the Servants whilst extending their unbeaten run at home to 25 games in the tnm Super League.

FCB Nyasa Big Bullets have been enduring a difficult season which has seen them being hot by injury crisis and Pasuwa has attributed it to frequent travelling.

Straight from the Caf Champions League game against Dragon FC, Bullets had only 24 hours to prepare for the local game as they arrived in Blantyre on Monday.

Pasuwa made four changes as Kesten Simbi, Kenneth Pasuwa, Patrick Mwangulu and Blessings Mpokera were given the nod to start in place of Yamikani Fodya, Chawangwa Gumbo, MacFarlane Mgwira and Frank Willard.

Civil Service United dominated the first half and their dominance paid off in the 19th minute when Luke Chima stunned his former team. Richard Chimbamba denied Binwell Katinji from scoring his eighth goal as he palmed away his shot but he was unfortunate to put it into the path of Chima who just tapped it in to give the visitors the lead.

Things went from bad to worse for the people’s team after Katinji extended the lead for the Servants three minutes later. Lloyd Aaron swung the ball into the penalty area and Simbi failed to clear it, Katinji had little to do by capping off the nightmare first half for the hosts- for the first time this season for Bullets to trail by two goals.

The two-goal lead gave the Servants the hope of ending their 9-year wait of recording their first win over Bullets and they were capitalizing on Bullets’ porous defence but they were unlucky not to find the third goal.

Two goals down, Kalisto Pasuwa’s men finally woke up powered by the sizable fans that thronged to the stadium and they began to dominate the game as they were looking for a quick reply before the break. They got that just beyond the half-hour mark. Patrick Mwaungulu and Gomezgan Chirwa combined on the right before the earlier won the penalty after being pulled down by Timothy Siliwimba. However, Lanjesi Nkhoma saw his penalty saved by Tione Tembo, sparking the noise from the opposite stands.

Nkhoma repented his sins with just few minutes before the break as he drilled a hammer shot that beat Tembo to bring Bullets back to life in the game.

Substitutes bring Bullets to life

After going to the break while trailing, Kalisto Pasuwa needed new pairs of legs to rescue the game as the battle for the Championship picks another twist. Mighty Mukuru Wanderers, Silver Strikers, Chitipa United and Bullets all have the chances of clinching the trophy by the end of this year.

Civil Service United were a better team after winning the Midfield where they had Lloyd Benega Aaron and Moses Banda as Bullets were struggling. Kenneth Pasuwa was replaced by Frank Willard while Peter Banda and Ephraim Kondowe replaced Kesten Simbi and Anthony Mfune respectively. Blessings Mpokera was pulled deep to play as a Centre back, alongside Clyde Senaji.

Bullets won the Midfield and they were igniting fire from all angles. Peter Banda’s quick style of play, Patrick Mwangulu’s brilliance, Lanjesi Nkhoma’s dribbling skills and Ephraim Kondowe’s positioning proved to be a threat to Civil.

Peter Banda, operating from the right flank played a one-two system with Mwaungulu before presenting Kondowe with a chance and the number 33 slotted the ball into an empty net to equalise for the hosts.

The home side were now in the driving sit, orchestrating wave after wave of attack and they really should have gone up but for a horrendous miss by Ephraim Kondowe. Peter Banda’s ball evaded everyone in the box leaving the former Wanderers’ striker with an open goal, two metres out but somehow steered his header to cannoy the upright.

Peter Banda missed the target from the free-kick while Mwaungulu was forced to kneel down in agony after his ambitious bullet was palmed away by Tembo.

Civil Service United thought that they had gone in front after Muhhamad Biason tapped in Moses Banda’s fumbled free-kick but it was not going to be counted as the flag for Happiness Mbandambanda was up for offside.

A balanced affair finally begs individual brilliance. Bullets had four ball players and they were able to open Civil’s defence. Patrick Mwaungulu was shifted to play in the hole and he was always looking like he was going to score. Tione Tembo delayed Mwaungulu from being on the score sheet but he wouldn’t deny him. In a flash the scene changed. Ernest Petro placed the ball between the defenders into the paths of Mwaungulu who released a piece of dynamite by unleashing a thunderous shot into the top right corner for the hosts to steal maximum points.

FCB Nyasa Big Bullets have reclaimed the top spot with 37 points from 18 games while Mighty Mukuru Wanderers are second with 36 points from 19 games.