Silver Strikers and Kamuzu Barracks reserve sides played to a goalles draw on Friday at ADL Ground to share a point each in the Chipiku Central Region Premier division.
The two sides were both coming from impressive wins but their encounter failed to produce goals.
The result which is a first so far for the young Bankers gives them a seven points cushion on top ahead of Kamuzu Barracks Reserves in Group.
Kamuzu Barracks Reserves are second with 12 points.
The match lived up to its billing as the game had high intensity as the young bankers played their usual possession football and exchanged passes well.
The army side managed to frustrate Silver Strikers Reserve in the first half as their good play couldn’t produce a goal.
At 30 minutes, Silver Strikers Reserve coach Mcdonald Yobe made a substitution by taking out George Penyenye who looked jittery upfront. Lifton Gunde took his place but the dividends were no where to be seen until halftime.
Two minutes into the second half, the home side brought in Felix Selemani and took out Lassuli Jali. Selemeni did not last more than 10 minutes as he received matching orders for using offensive language.
That meant that the Young Bankers were to finish the game with 10 men.
To add firepower, the guests brought in Stern Chirwa and Martial Maluwa for Hamsa Chiwaya and Emmanuel Chiphwanya. The changes help them to contain the pressure from the hosts who continued to pile pressure though they were a man down.
At 70 minutes, Kamuzu Barracks Reserves were forced to substitute goalkeeper John Mphezi as he was injured and Nathan Moyo took his place.
Five minutes later the soldiers took out Jumah Yatina who had a tough afternoon and Tinkhani Nyirenda and introduced Elliot Mapila and Yamikani Mtalimanja.
Still, the changes failed to bring a goal that both sides yearned for.
After the match, assistant coach for the Young Bankers Rodrick Gonani said they boys handled well the tough encounter that they had expected but officiation let them down.
“The kind of game that we have been exposed to this afternoon is almost 100% what we expected from our opponents. They gave our boys several knocks but we stood firm to our game plan but in the end we failed to score to take the victory. Not the result we wanted but we have to upload the boys for giving it all this afternoon” he said.
This is the first match this season that Silver Strikers Reserve has played without scoring a goal.
The young Central Bankers remain unbeaten in this year’s competition.