Supersport United finally ended a four-season sequence without a victory against Moroka Swallows when two late goals gave them a 3-1 victory at a sun-swept Germiston Stadium on Sunday afternoon and entry into the semifinals of the SAA Supa8 competition.
It was not a convincing success for the Supa8 holders, however, and they were under pressure for long periods of the second half after the teams were level 1-1 at half-time.
The Birds opened the score in the 22nd minute via a fortuitous goal by Namibian international Henrico Botes after Mark McVeigh’s miscued shot had been transformed into a pin-point pass.
Swallows, who have experienced a nightmarish start to the new season with three successive defeats, suffered through the absence of suspended Nigerian international goalkeeper Greg Etafia. His replacement, Conrad Hendricks, was caught flat-footed when nippy Bafana Bafana midfielder Daine Klate equalised in the 38th minute.
Ironically, the score line showed Swallows performing more effectively in the first half, but after a lacklustre opening 45 minutes they improved in the second period and Supersport ultimately gained ascendancy against the run of play.
The all-important goal that gave Supersport the lead for the first time in the game in the 79th minute was scored with a calculated shot by Tony Tsabedze through a maze of players in the penalty area.
Three minutes later, lanky former Swallows striker Lungisani Ndlela outjumped Hendricks for the ball and scored a headed goal against his former club that virtually sealed the issue.
And Ndlela might have produced a third Supersport goal within the space of six minutes when a loose ball rolled tantalisingly off the upright and the tall striker somehow failed to guide the ball into the net from 2m.
Supersport, however, had little trouble playing out the final 10 minutes to join Mamelodi Sundowns, Orlando Pirates and Bloemfontein Celtic in the semifinals. — Sapa