Abel Etrude struck late to cancel out Marvin Busuulwa’s opener as Maroons FC played out a 1–1 draw with Mbarara City at the Prison Grounds, Luzira, on Saturday afternoon.
The Uganda Premier League encounter began at a pedestrian pace, with both sides hesitant to fully commit bodies forward in a cagey opening exchange.
However, as the tactical battle unfolded, Mbarara City began to assert their dominance. The visitors utilised crisp, short passing sequences to bypass Maroons’ middle park, looking more likely to break the deadlock.
The game turned physical midway through the first half as the intensity ramped up. The center referee was forced to reach for his pocket on several occasions, dishing out a flurry of bookings to keep tempers from boiling over.
The Ankole Lions finally made their pressure count just two minutes after the restart. In the 47th minute, Marvin Busuulwa fired the visitors ahead, finishing off a brilliant piece of play by the agile Abudul Malik Bironse.
Facing a disappointing home defeat, Maroons’ technical bench reacted by introducing fresh legs in midfield to counter Mbarara City’s superior athleticism. The tactical shifts eventually paid dividends in the dying stages of the match.
With only four minutes of regulation time remaining, veteran midfielder Abel Etrude found the equaliser, beating the Mbarara City goalkeeper to ensure the Prison Wardens walked away with a point.
The result leaves Maroons in ninth place on the log with 18 points from 15 games. For Mbarara City, the draw moves them to 12 points, though they remain in the lower reaches of the table in 14th position.