LMPS hold Matlama

MASERU – Matlama head coach Halemakale Mahlaha left the pitch deflated after his side’s 1-1 draw with the Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS) last night.

The result leaves the champions sixth in the Vodacom Premier League and still far off the pace set by leaders Bantu as the season nears its halfway mark.

Matlama have 23 points after 14 games and find themselves 10 points adrift of their Mafeteng rivals.

Undoubtedly upset at his side’s inability to close the gap on Bantu, Mahlaha lamented his players’ performance after yesterday’s game and said their tactical discipline was poor.

Mahlaha was specifically annoyed with the manner in which Matlama threw away a 1-0 halftime lead and dropped off in the second half.

Mercurial midfielder Phafa Tšosane had given ‘Tse Putsoa’ the lead with a magnificent lob over LMPS goalkeeper Sekhoane Moerane who was off his goal-line and caught off guard by Tšosane’s brilliant vision.

Everything looked rosy for the champions at that point and with a 1-0 lead in tow when the match went to halftime, it appeared they had the game under control.

LMPS, however, came back a changed team in the second-half and took the game to ‘Tse Putsoa’.

‘Simunye’ pressed Matlama into their own half and were at last rewarded for their efforts when Monyatheli Ntobo struck a brilliant goal of his own.

LMPS finished the stronger side and could have added more to their tally were it not for Matlama goalkeeper Monaheng Ramalefane who stood between the champions and a crushing defeat.

Despite coming away with a point, the result was another frustrating outcome for ‘Tse Putsoa’ after they were held to 1-1 by Manonyane last time out.

Matlama have now won just once in their last four matches and it is no wonder Mahlaha looked like a man whose spirit had left his body when the final whistle blew.

“Our tactical discipline was not good,” he lamented.

“We are leading 1-0, we get a set-piece. We are not standing well and we take it. It’s things that are tiring that I think we need to deeply look at it,” an upset Mahlaha added.

Despite changes to their technical team which saw Mahlaha replace Mothobi Molebatsi in October, Matlama are still struggling and those struggles were on full display for LMPS’s equaliser.

Mahlaha was not impressed with his players’ positioning and he was particularly annoyed with one senior player whose poor decision-making led to the goal.

“Like I said, our tactical discipline was very poor, the goal we conceded we were not there in front of the goals (to defend) because we thought we were attacking,” Mahlaha said.

Mahlaha admitted Matlama have plenty to work on.

“It’s concerning. Unlike the last game when we had chances and we missed them, today we played against people with experience who know how to manage spaces behind (them).

In the first half we got there, but in the second half we dropped, we got tired, we will address it,” he said.

In another league game yesterday, the Lesotho Correctional Service (LCS) ran riot as they condemned Naughty Boys to a 9-1 defeat at the LCS Ground.

Hlomelang Lebina stole the show netting five goals as ‘Masheshena’ recorded the first goal glut of the season.

The win moves second-placed LCS to 28 points from 14 games, five points behind Matlama as they seek a first league crown since 2012.

Naughty Boys, on the other hand, remain stuck in the relegation zone with 10 points from 14 games.

LCS’s demolition of Naughty Boys was the only other league game played yesterday after the Linare and Lijabatho match was called off due to an unplayable ground, while Lesotho Defence Force and Liphakoe also did not play for the same reasons.

Weekend Fixtures:
Saturday (15:00):
LDF vs. Machokha (LDF Ground)
Lifofane vs. LCS (Butha-Buthe)
Galaxy vs. LMPS (DIFA Leribe)
Naughty Boys vs. Bantu (TBA)
Sunday:
Matlama vs. Liphakoe (LCS Ground)
Lioli vs. Lijabatho (Teyateyaneng)
CCX vs. Manonyane (LAC)
Linare vs. Swallows (DIFA Leribe)

Tlalane Phahla