Blue Birds draw with Emmarentia Pirates after late own goal
Thabisile Khumalo's goal had Blue Birds dreaming of a rare win over Pirates, but a cruel own goal in the 89th minute meant they had to settle for a share of the spoils.
A last-minute defensive lapse cost Blue Birds Ladies Football Academy three crucial points during their South African Football Association Women’s Provincial League clash against Emmarentia Pirates FC at the Alex Safe Hub on September 24.
Blue Birds spent the whole first half, and much of the second, holding on to a 1-0 lead after Thabisile Khumalo’s long-range strike beat Pirates goalkeeper Althea Liebenberg just nine minutes into the game.
Read more: Title race pressure catches Blue Birds
The home side kept Pirates at bay for long stretches, even as the visitors consistently pushed the ball forward and probed for gaps. But the home side’s resistance finally broke in the 89th minute, when Blue Birds conceded an own goal.
That moment ended Blue Birds’ hopes of collecting maximum points and closing the gap on University of Johannesburg FC, who now sit fifth on the log, a position Blue Birds themselves held before slipping to sixth.
Nerve-racking second half
The second half in particular proved nerve-racking for the home side, as Pirates continued to press forward and search for an equaliser. Blue Birds’ defence largely held firm, but the sustained pressure allowed the visitors to register more shots on target over the course of the match.
Also read: Blue Birds bounce back with seven-goal rout
Recurring defensive issues
Blue Birds coach Malvin Khumalo admitted that his side did not take control of the game after taking the lead.
“When you’re playing a team that keeps pushing the ball forward, behind your defence, and you don’t score an insurance goal, those things are bound to happen,” Khumalo said.
He said his players were not doing themselves justice, pointing to a recurring problem with how the team advances with the ball.
“We conceded the same way last week,” Khumalo said. “We had possession and were trying to advance, but how we advance is something we need to address, because we run towards traffic, where the opponents are. We just run with the ball into the opponent’s territory. We run into a trap where they are just waiting to defend, take the ball and counter.”
Historical struggles against Pirates
The match would have offered Blue Birds a chance to finally get the better of a side they have historically struggled against. Last year, they lost twice to Pirates, suffering a 3-4 loss in May and a 1-2 defeat in September.
“They are not dominating us, but we do not have a single win against this team,” Khumalo said. “In three outings we have not managed to collect maximum points. At least we collected a point from them today, but that is not the true reflection of the character of our team.”
Having walked away with just a single point, Blue Birds now face an uphill battle to finish the season inside the top five.
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