-Wanderers end 10 year wait for a double over neighbours Bullets
-Move a point behind leaders Bullets as substitutes Singini and Wallace shine for the nomads
What a performance! what a game and what a derby!
Just fancy this, Mighty Wanderers were just in a world of their own as the Lali Lubani boys gave out a five star performance to claim the bragging rights of the commercial city as they saw off neighbours 0-3 in the Blantyre derby.
It was a day of records being broken, heroes being crowned and villains left the stadium dejected in disbelief.
In over 10 years, the Blantyre derby produced 3 goals all for one team without reply.
This was also the first time that a team has claimed a double in the Blantyre derby, the last side to achieve that feat being FCB Nyasa Big Bullets back in 2015.
Substitutes Adam Wallace were the toast of the day grabbing all the goals with Singini a second half substitute claiming a brace.
Wanderers started the match on a high pressuring their opponents in their own half forcing Bullets defenders into committing silly mistakes at the back.
Wanderers were however dealt a severe blow when winger Wisdom Mpinganjira was forced off after just 17 minutes following a tackle from Bullets defender Khumbo Banda.
Mpinganjira’s injury would however come as a blessing in disguise as his replacement Adam Wallace only needed 2 touches before registering his name on the score sheet after 22 minutes.
It was Wallace’s moment of writing his own piece of history as this was his first derby goal since he signed for Nyerere.
Wanderers continued to create more goal scoring opportunities for themselves but forward Muhammad Sulumba was just wasteful in front of goal.
Bullets Gaffer Peter Mponda knew that things are not going according to plan and if no immediate intervention is taken, then disaster was loading at a supersonic speed.
Mponda then withdrew Midfielder Paul Master and striker Hassan Kajoke for Mike Mkwate and Wongani Lungu.
However that substitution wouldn’t change the complexion of the game as at half time, the scored board read 0-1 in favour of the blue camp.
The nomads started the second half just like they did with the first forcing their opponents deep down in their own half.
Coach Mponda made changes but all to no avail.
It was Wanderers’ substitution that proved vital with midfielder Blessings Singini earning himself the ‘derby hero’ crown for the day after scoring 2 goals in quick succession, the first one coming after 76 minutes and his second Wanderers’ third coming at 83 minutes.
At this point coach Mponda knew that it was game over.
His team had again surrendered the city’s bragging rights.
THE MATHEMATICS
Following Sunday’s derby result, here are now the mathematics.
The gap at the top has been narrowed to one point with Wanderers also boasting of a game in hand advantage.
If Wanderers win that game, they will move 2 points above their noisy neighbors while a draw will see the 2 sides moving level on points.
So Blantyre is blue and the nomads continue to preserve their unbeaten run in the league to set up an exciting final 9 games of the season.
The battle to the championship has now just taken a new twist.
