Nkana title surge continues

>Zambia Daily Mail by Online Editor on 6/22/13

CHISHALA MUSONDA and HONE SIAME report:
NKANA have continued their surge for a 12th FAZ league title with a comprehensive 4-2 win over Konkola Blades yesterday but Zesco United are hot on their heels after they, too, registered a thorough 4-0 thrashing of struggling Lime Hotspur.
Nchanga Rangers leapt into third place at the expense of Kabwe Warriors, whom they beat 1-0 to also keep alive their hopes of a top-two finish.
NKANA 4  BLADES  2
Pace-setters Nkana maintained their two-point lead at the summit of the MTN Super Division log after beating stubborn Konkola Blades in a thriller at Nkana Stadium in Kitwe.
Towering striker Festus Mbewe scored a hat-trick with Ronald Kampamba contributing the fourth goal to secure Nkana’s victory.
Mbewe fired Nkana into the lead in the 12th minute with a tap-in off a Ronald
Kampamba pass past goalkeeper Becky Bizangi.
Blades restored parity in the 40th minute when under-pressure Donashano Malama scored an own-goal in an attempt to clear a Brian Malama shot.
Blades took the lead on 58 minutes when Francis Simwanza netted a scorcher but just seven minutes later, Nkana restored parity through Kampamba after a string of passes.
Two minutes later, Mbewe was on target again, finishing Masautso Zimba’s right-wing cross.
Mbewe completed his hat-trick in stoppage time through a penalty awarded to Nkana by Chingola referee Kebby Madiabi  after Kelly Sichidya handled in the box.
Nkana, who are yet to lose at home, have moved to 29 points while Blades have 16 points.
RANGERS  1  WARRIORS 0
Nchanga Rangers kept alive their prospects of an elusive Super Division title through a Bornwell Mwape first-minute strike against hitherto third-placed Kabwe Warriors.
POLICE  2  POWER  1
Coach Tenant Chilumba started his reign at Power Dynamos in reverse gear as his team went down to Konkola Mine Police at Konkola Stadium in Chingola.
Chipulu Chileya and Kabaso Chongo contributed a goal each in the first half for Police with Power hitting the target through Maybin Chishimba.
LIME 0 ZESCO 4
Zesco United thrashed 10-man Lime in a lively Week 12 Ndola derby at Musa Kasonka Stadium yesterday.
Second-placed Zesco trail log leaders Nkana by just two points before the two clash in this weekend’s top of the bill battle.  They now move to 27 points, seven clear of the third-position held by Nchanga Rangers, who went to 20.
Maybin Mwaba bagged a brace including one when the ball crossed the line and rolled through a hole of the net.  Lottie Phiri and Winston Kalengo were also on the score sheet.
Lime failed to offer any form of resistance against the town mates and were exposed as early as the third minute when Mwaba poked home the opener before Phiri doubled the lead in the 29th minute.
The home team tried to fight back but Tapson Kaseba was too slow with the final touch in the box before they were reduced to 10 men when midfielder Bobby Chansa was sent off for lunging his boot in the face of Kalengo on 35 minutes.
Referee Hendrix Mutumba showed Chansa a straight red card and it remained 2-0 until the break.
After the breather, Lime pushed forward trying to search for a consolation before a quick counter-attack gave enough room to Mwaba, who curled the ball to the far post and into the net but found its way out through a hole.  Referee Mutumba let the goal stand in the 48th minute.
On the other end, Lameck Kafwaya forced out an agile save from Zesco goalie Brown Nyirenda, who was quick to react on 56 minutes but it was Kalengo who stabbed home the final goal on the hour.
Lime slipped to the bottom of the MTN Super Division log on a paltry six points.
FOREST 0 NAPSA 0
Across town at Dola Hill Grounds, coach Hector Chilombo on his first match in the re-union with Forest Rangers gained a point in the stalemate with Napsa Stars.
KALULUSHI 0 ROAN 0
Roan United had John Lomami’s second half goal disallowed as they fought to a draw against Kaluluhsi Modern Stars at Independence Stadium in Kalulushi.
ZANACO 3 NKWAZI 1
Zanaco put up a solid performance to trash Nkwazi in a lunch time kick-off at Sunset Stadium in Lusaka, ROBINSON KUNDA reports.
Veteran striker Davies Mwape grabbed his first brace of the season with skipper Henry Banda contributing a goal.  Nkwazi got the face-saver through consistent striker Musukuma Chipungu.
The game was balanced in the opening minutes but Zanaco were more aggressive and their efforts paid off on seven minutes when Mwape received a through-ball from Aubrey Zulu.
With Nkwazi goalkeeper Maybin Phiri advancing to close the gap, Mwape cleverly chipped the ball over and into the net.
Zanaco kept the pressure on Nkwazi and were duly rewarded just before the break, this time through Banda, who outpaced the defenders and drilled in a left footer from the edge of the box that came off the upright before rolling into the net.
Chipungu gave Nkwazi hope of a comeback a minute into the second half when he waltzed past a horde of ball-watching Zanaco defenders before stubbing home with a powerful volley.
Just when it looked like Nkwazi would restore parity, Mwape headed in the third for Zanaco on 50 minutes off a pass from Michael Bwalya.