It was positives all round for Notwane and Black Peril as their much anticipated top of the table clash ended in a stalemate.
While Black Peril became the first team to breach the Notwane defence this season, not once, but two times, the latter played with character to twice come from behind to level the score board.
In a tricky game played in a muddy and often slippery Lesirane ground, it was Peril who dominated the first half and were duly rewarded as Nsuka Panzu gave them a lead.
It however took Notwane barely three minutes to level matters, thanks to Thato Goitsemang who bundled in a goal after Peril keeper Victor Mothakaja had parried his not so well taken penalty into his way.
Peril then regained their lead in the second half as Pansu netted again. The striker shoulder budged his marker and as Notwane stopped play and ball watched, he bundled the loose ball past keeper Thabang Motlhabani.
As they had done in the first half, Notwane reacted positively to the setback and were rewarded when Brian Botsang met a well delivered set piece and bundled it into the net to level matters.
“What pleased me the most was the character of my boys because after conceding a goal that we all thought the referee did not give us a good decision, they came back stronger and that showed character,” Notwane gaffer Kaelo ‘Wire’ Kaelo opined.
Kaelo admitted that while Peril had dominated the first half, he was happy that his team managed to graft a draw, even though they would have preferred a win.
“It is an important draw for us looking at the fact that we have not yet lost a game. But in terms of going forward we have lost greatly because we wanted to win. So, it is a drawback when we look at the ambition of the club,” Kaelo said.
Kaelo was not alone in drawing positives from the stalemate, with his Peril counterpart Nelson Olebile doing the same.
“It was a very tough game, one of those games where you need your boys to show character and they showed it though I still believe we did not defend very well,” Olebile said in his post match interview.
“Nonetheless, we are taking this result home because we are away and we were playing against a team which until today had not conceded a goal,” the Peril gaffer said.
Olebile opined that scoring the two goals was a proof of his team’s ability in front of goals as they have scored in all games they have played this season.
The Black Peril coach was also happy that his team had managed to maintain their position in the league log.
“When we started, we agreed not to drop from our position in the log, and indeed, we got a point and I believe we have not dropped our position,” he concluded.
The draw meant Notwane maintains their place at the top of the Debswana First Division South League (FDSL), with only a goal difference separating them from Sharps and Black Peril in second and third position respectively.
The three table topping teams have amassed eleven points each from the five games they have played this season. All the three teams have won three games and drawn two each.
