Serie A: Super sub Lameck Banda provides another timely goal in Lecce victory

You never know what you will get from Lameck Banda when the exciting winger steps on the pitch but the Zambian came through on Sunday with a massive match winner in Lecce’s 2-1 home Serie A victory against Udinese.

The Stadio Via del Mare became the scenes of bedlam after Banda came off the bench to fire in a 90th minute free kick past Udinese goalkeeper Maduka Okoye to secure the club’s 5th victory of the campaign.

I Giallorossi maintain their place outside the Italian top flight’s relegation with the result, three points clear of Fiorentina in 17th position.

The hosts got off to an excellent start and controlled most of the match. Omri Gandelman put them ahead inside the opening ten minutes to capitalize. However, there was a serious possibility that Udinese might snatch a point courtesy of Oumar Solet’s 26th minute penalty kick response.

Banda comes through after Serie A slump

But enter Banda. The flamboyant winger came on in the 68th minute after a month of difficulty that saw him make little impact for his club since scoring in a 1-1 draw at Juventus on January 3. And his 3rd goal of the season could be crucial for a Lecce team that is constantly fighting against the tide to retain their top flight status.

 

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The result ends an 8-match winless streak for the victor that stretches back to mid-December. Next up is a road match at Cagliari next Monday.

What will we see from Banda next match, who knows? But coach Eusebio Di Francesco will be delighted with the results after rolling the dice and winning big.