Flames striker Chiukepo Mso¬woya handed new coach Alex Masanjala a winning start at Es¬com United when his late strike sank Kamuzu Barracks in a TNM Super League match at Civo Stadium in Lilongwe on Saturday.

As the game appeared to be head¬ing for a share of the points, Msowoya used his experience to crash home a decisive goal in the 89th minute.

Escom had been gifted with the lead when Gift Zumazuma deflected a Manase Chiyesa shot into his own net in the 74th minute.

But substitute Joel Chipofya seemed to have earned Kamuzu Barracks a point when he took advan¬tage of the defensive mix up between goalkeeper Assani Kazembe and his defenders to score the equalizer in the 83rd minute.

With Msowoya closely returning to his sparkling form, he showed a never-say-die-attitude by striking the impor¬tant goal on the stroke of fulltime.

Meanwhile, Masanjala said he was lucky to start with a victory.

"It is a good start for me and the rest of the team. Of course we are lucky to get a win because it was a difficult game," said the former Civo mentor.

Escom are still stuck in the relegation zone but they have moved to 13th with 19 points from 20 games and they have now climbed above Bvumbwe United who also have the same points from 23 games. Escom have better goal difference.

At Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre, Mighty Wanderers recovered from their last week's humiliating defeat at the hands of bitter rivals Big Bullets to beat visiting Red Li¬ons 2-0.

Lively Victor Mpinganjira scored a late second half brace to inspire Wanderers who now leapfrog the Zomba-based Lions on the log table. The Lali Lubani Road outfit sits on fourth position after tying at 38 points apiece with Lions. However, Wanderers have edged out Lions on superior goal difference.

Mpinganjira might have scored two goals but it was the terrific performance of Flames midfielder Joseph Kamwendo that lifted the Nomads and helped them to exorcise last week's demons.

Kamwendo engineered both goals and was deservedly named man-of-the-match.

The nimble-footed midfielder created the first goal, which saw Mpinganjira escaping an ill-timed offside trap before beating advanc-ing keeper Brighton Ngwenyama with a deft lob in the 67th minute.

Five minutes to full time, Mp¬inganjira was at it again when he followed up Kamwendo's pass and capitalized on Ngwenyama's blunder to make it two for him and two for Wanderers.

It was a painful loss for Lions after having dominated possession for the better part of the game.

Lions coach, Collins Nkuna, said it was unfortunate that they did not utilize their scoring opportuni¬ties, the main culprit being striker Boniface Kaulesi who squandered four chances in both halves.

But his counterpart, Wanderers' coach Felix Fosko said it was a timely win.

"We had to win to keep our chances of winning the league alive," he said.