Teboho Molapo
LDF……..(0) 0
Joy………(0) 0
MASERU — Joy continued their brilliant form when they held title challengers LDF to a nil-all draw in a league tie at Ratjomose yesterday.
Joy players — defender Basia Makepa, midfielder Shetsane Ramoseeka, and flying winger Khopotso Lenoesa — put up a splendid show as the Sebothoane side often dominated their more illustrious hosts.
The Joy players harried for possession and their tackles had bite.
In Nkosi Tshabalala, Joy also had a striker who was never afraid to mix it up with Sohle Sohle’s notoriously mean defence.
But the goal the visitor’s confident play warranted never came.
“On my side I am disappointed (because) there is nothing that beat us,” Motlatsi Thibinyane, the Joy head coach said after the game.
“We don’t take our chances. We play well with direction and passing but the problem is finishing.
“We arrived in the box on three occasions but we never scored,” Thibinyane said.
Thibinyane had a point.
Joy were guilty of missing numerous gilt-edged chances with wide-man Lefa Mokoena wasting the best of the lot in the 55th minute.
Mokoena ballooned the ball over the bar when he was one-on-one with Sello Ramakau after a brilliant set-up play.
However LDF — who began the day atop the Vodacom Premier League — were also indecisive and wasteful in front of goal.
As early as the 12th minute, Tsepo Keketsi hit the woodwork and then in the 19th minute Bongata Kori blasted wide from inside the six-yard box after strong hold up play from Mojela Letsie.
In between the missed chances was a closely fought encounter as Joy’s natural attacking instincts met LDF’s practical football machine.
However, it’s a machine that hasn’t been at best recently.
Last time out at home Sohle-Sohle needed two late goals to beat Mphatlalatsane and yesterday LDF’s big names — Molefe Lekoekoe, Janfeke Molibeli and Letsie — were again below par as LDF dropped two precious points.
“We missed very clear chances and that cost us,” LDF player/assistant coach Malefetsane Pheko said after the game.
“It is not a pleasing result (because) results like these allow our opponents to make up ground on us.”
Indeed the result has allowed Lioli to leapfrog LDF into first place after Tse Nala thumped bottom side Butha-Buthe Roses 3-0 in Teyateyaneng yesterday.
At Pitso Ground, Matlama had Pali Tšalong to thank for a 1-0 derby win over Linare, while Bantu stayed third with a 3-2 win over Swallows in Mafeteng.
At the Central Prison, new Nyenye Rovers signing Moli Lesesa helped his side to a crucial 1-0 win over Lerotholi.
Monteoli Senopo’s first half strike was enough to separate the two sides.
Comments are closed.