By Carlos Kambaekwa
WINDHOEK
Ramblers tightened their grip on the MTC Namibia Premiership summit after the Pionierspark-based outfit outplayed and outthought a hapless APS Blue Waters, before they sent the coastal side packing with their tails firmly tucked between their legs – despite finishing the ill-tempered match with nine men at the Ramblers field on Saturday.
The match started at a frantic pace with the visitors looking for an early goal to settle their nerves but it was always going to be a mammoth task for the league strugglers to get their act together against opponents that have been spitting fire in all domestic competitions since the start of the 2007/2008 campaign.
The hosts opened the floodgates via the educated boot of veteran striker John Samson who sent the Blue Waters keeper in the wrong direction from the penalty spot with the game hardly 9 minutes old.
Five minutes later, the bow legged Sierra Leone’s goal poacher netted his seventh goal of the season when he effortlessly side-footed a cross from close range with the visitors’ rearguard all at sea.
The goal pushed Samson to the top of the goal scoring charts alongside his teammate Pineas Jacobs, but the joint leadership only lasted 24 minutes.
Jacobs latched onto a deep clearance and outsprinted his marker – masterfully rounded the advancing goalkeeper and toe-poked the ball into an empty net from an acute angle to restore his lead in the race for the much sought after golden boot award with his 8th goal of the season.
Discarded Brave Warriors flying left winger Jeremiah “Bullfrog” Baisako continued with his impressive performance of late and put in a number of telling crosses but his wasteful teammates failed to the turn the deliveries into goals from inviting positions.
Baisako put the final nail in the clearly dejected coastal side’s coffin when he effortlessly chested down a floated ball inside the penalty box before picking his spot to place the ball neatly into the top corner of the net – leaving the visitors’ goalkeeper catching flies with a minute left before the changeover.
Ramblers brought on the highly skillful but sometimes erratic Nelson “Dicky” Akwenye in place of two-goal hero John Samson, who failed to resurface after the break after the enterprising veteran goal-poacher suffered a heavy knock on his ankle.
Ramblers continue from where they left off and should have scored half a dozen goals in the second half had it not been for wayward finishing by the usually composed Akwenye who seemed to have left his shooting boots at home as he wasted numerous inviting chances with only the goalkeeper to beat.
As the second half wore on, Jacobs turned from hero to villain when the speedy lethal striker fell foul of the referee’s crime sheet after a dangerous tackle on Blue Waters’ goalkeeper Charles Uirab – 7 minutes into the second half.