SuperSport United beat Mamelodi Sundowns 1-0 through an 83rd minute winner from Kermit Erasmus in their Absa Premiership match at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday evening.
SuperSport mounted wave after wave of attack from the start, and it was the brilliant keeping by Downs keeper Wayne Sandilands that kept the visitors in the game.
The home side looked much more menacing on attack than the Brazillians, who currently top the log.
After countless missed chances, it was Erasmus who scored the winner in the late stages of the match. He slotted home a rebound off the posts to give SuperSport a deserved win.
The game started with SuperSport looking more positive and striker Anthony Laffor came close in the second minute. His effort from 25m out had Sundowns’ keeper Wayne Sandilands well beaten, but his strike hit the crossbar.
Downs looked unsure in open play and struggled to create clear-cut chances.
Their best effort of the first half came in the 11th minute from a Katlego Mphela free kick. The Downs’ striker’s shot from 10m outside the SuperSport box saw keeper Rowan Fernandez diving low and to his right to save the attempt.
SuperSport should have scored in the 33rd minute with a strike from Letladi Madubanya. Erasmus provided a good cross that Sandilands was able to get a hand on only to see his punch fall perfectly for Madubanya. With an open goal, his attempt inexplicably hit the post.
Another good strike in the 57th minute by Laffor saw Sandilands parry away the shot.
Two minutes later, it was Sandilands again who made a great save as a free-kick was whipped in, creating a goalmouth scuffle before the Downs keeper came to the rescue.
As the game wore on, it seemed like SuperSport would be made to pay for all their wasted chances.
Laffor had another great attempt saved in the 69th minute. The SuperSport striker spotted Sandilands slightly off his line, but the in-form Sundowns keeper was able to back-peddle just in time to parry the shot over the posts.
When Erasmus scored the late goal, it was Downs who looked a well-beaten team.
Surprisingly it was the log leaders who never mounted a serious attack on goal and it was SuperSport who looked like they were much hungrier for the victory. – Sapa