Top Dogz and Stars in share of spoils in thrilling game of the Alex Northrand LFA Promotional League
ALEXANDRA – A share of the spoils between Norwood Young Stars and Gomtown Boys was considered a fair result in the tight and thrilling game.
Norwood Young Stars and Gomtown Boys will have no one but themselves to blame after they failed to collect maximum points from a match that could have easily gone either way.
Both sides had a number of wasted opportunities which could have easily sealed this exciting match of the Alexandra Northrand Local Football Association (ANLFA) Promotional League played at the Alexandra Stadium on 19 January.
Gomtown Boys, better known as Top Dogz, were the first ones to draw blood through the boot of Michael Phongoma in just less than two minutes of the game but Phemelo Mphahlele cancelled that lead when he rattled the net 15 minutes later to ensure the teams were on equal footing.
Top Dogz’s Lumkani Mgaga fluffed a glorious opportunity to put his team back in the driving seat when he missed an open net. Top Dogz keeper was called upon to make a top drawer save from a strike by the tallest man on the pitch, Mohlabi Letsoalo who unleashed a thunderbolt from inside the box.
It was sheer luck that the keeper was alert and up to the challenge and made his most brilliant save of the day to ensure the teams were on level terms. But it was not long before Letsoalo, who was a thorn in the flesh of the Top Dogz defenders, found his striking boots a few minutes before the half-time break, and the teams went for their pep talks with Stars leading 2-1.
When the teams resumed their pitch rivalry for the second half, Lesoalo, nicknamed ‘Mudemude’ for being the tallest man on the field of play, was at his old tricks again of tormenting the Top Dogz defence but his strike went straight into the safe hands of the Top Dogz keeper.
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It was Top Dogz’s Mgaga who found the back of the net from a defence-splitting pass and the sides were back on level terms again. In the last 15 minutes of play, Top Dogz put up a spirited performance and were all over Stars in an attempt to find that elusive winning goal but to no avail as both teams settled for a share of the spoils.
Stars coach Felicia Makola, the second woman to coach an all-male soccer team in Alex after Alex United’s Tracy-Lee Pepper but the first one in the Alex Northrand LFA leagues, said she was dismayed with the ‘pushing and pulling’ by the opponents but overall was pleased with the way her men accounted for themselves in play.
“We could have easily wrapped up the game for the three points at stake had we taken all our chances but a point apiece was better than nothing for us,” she said.
Her counterpart at Top Dogz, also bemoaned the wasted opportunities by his men. “I just wish we had buried all our chances, and we could be talking a different story now,” said coach Joshua ‘Mathata’ Sebelebele.
