ROOKIES NSINGIZINI CLAIM BIG SCALP AS: ‘BIRDS’ SWALLOWED

MANZINI – A tactically superior Nsingizini Hotspurs turned the game on its head to cause the biggest upset of round eight against 10-man Mbabane Swallows here yesterday.

Swallows put their 25-game unbeaten run in the firing line against the ‘giant slayers’, who pulled a rabbit out of the hat to steal all the three points with a 2-1 comeback win in the fast flowing but tension-filled MTN Premier League game before over 500 fans yesterday.

Unbeaten since losing to Mbabane Highlanders by a Sabelo ‘Sikhali’ Ndzinisa goal 315 days ago, Swallows were looking to jump to the top spot for the first time this season after log leaders Young Buffaloes fired blanks in a goalless draw with Moneni Pirates  earlier.At the end, it was the visitors who had the last laugh after a brilliant second-half performance that kept them in the race for the E100 000 first round ‘carrot’.

From flair to drama, the game had it all as match officials had to invade the pitch to separate both sets of players who were at each other’s throat in the opening stanza. It was super substitute Mancoba ‘Ncibza’ Vilakati’s  wonderfully taken strike that proved to be the difference, stunning the home supporters into silence, with some already walking out even before top referee Letticia Viana could blow her final whistle.

However, the referee proved unpopular with the capital city giants’ loyalists, who accused her of questionable decisions that were headlined by the sending off of Swallows import Mohammed Kabia nine minutes from time. The latter was given his marching orders for a second bookable offence on a goal-bound Thubelihle Mavuso.

Dangerously

Even after they had their noses in front as early as the 16th minute, Swallows still lived dangerously at the back. Swallows’ Bashiri Mutanda  had superbly broken the deadlock with a grass cutter from close range after shaking off Ncamiso Thwala, but Hotspurs responded deep into stoppage time of the opening period.  It was Mabuza who ensured the teams were level-pegging during the interval after he squeezed a superb effort past a forest of legs from close range.

Swallows, who had given the nod to Sandile ‘Nkomishi’ Ginindza in goal ahead of Sandanezwe Mathabela, noticeably struggled in midfield and could not exploit the wide areas like in previous outings. Grafter Xolani ‘Papi’ Sikhondze was sacrificed before resumption of play, with the enterprising Leon ‘Schuster’ Manyisa given a run.

However, the visitors pressured Swallows with their penetrative passes and ensured the pendulum swung in their favour for prolonged periods in the second half. Nsingizini also introduced fresh legs in the dying minutes of the game and it did not take long for lanky forward and substitute Vilakati to stamp his authority, as he was at the end of a  Melusi Thwala flicked ball to beautiful fire home with the outside of his boot six minutes from time.With time not on their side, Swallows had thrown everything into attack in search of the equaliser, but the away team tightened the backdoor to grind out the big win on the road.

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