In a lacklustre match played at the Mpumalanga Stadium in Hammarsdale on Wednesday afternoon, Cape Town side Santos claimed a much-needed haul of three points with a 1-0 victory over Thanda Royal Zulu.
Both teams delivered uninspired play with errant passes being a standout feature of the game.
The match was more akin to a schoolboy match, where the participants are expected to make elementary mistakes. Graham King’s strike in the fourth minute proved to be decisive in the greater scheme of things. The goal came from a simply constructed move that caught the home team’s defence flat-footed.
King slammed home from inside Thanda’s goal area with a powerful low drive after being set up by some neat interplay between Erwin Isaacs, Marvin Oakes and Eleazar Rodgers.
In the second half, Thanda were more attack-minded and had a few near misses that could have levelled matters. Thanda’s Felix Obaba fired over the visitor’s crossbar in the 59th minute from close range.
Santos’ goalkeeper, Francis Chansa, gathered Peter Ndlovu’s rasping shot at the second attempt in the 70th minute.
Also on Wednesday afternoon, Maritzburg United beat fellow newcomers Bay United 2-1, while struggling Bloemfontein Celtic were held to a goalless draw by defending league champions SuperSport United. — Sapa