/ 30 October 2011

Nine rounds in, SuperSport rule the roost

SuperSport United scraped past Bidvest Wits on Saturday, winning 1-0 at the Bidvest Stadium, in a result which saw them reclaim their lead at the top of the Premiership table after nine rounds of matches.

Substitute striker Kermit Erasmus found the winner with six minutes left on the clock as both sides struggled in the final halves.

“It was always going to be a tough match for us. It didn’t help that the conditions were so difficult with the wind,” said Hunt.

“We did well in the first half but felt that we didn’t have the final pass. But it was a still a good performance on the day, I thought. We showed good discipline.”

Wits coach Roger de Sa was unimpressed with losing to a 10-man team in a match where they should have salvaged at least a point.

“I’m just disappointed that we made one mistake and got punished for it,” he said.

Moroka Swallows had been top of the league standings before the day started, after beating Ajax Cape Town 3-2 in a match played in a wet Dobsonville on Friday night.

The Birds nearly threw it away when they allowed the Urban Warriors to score two goals in the dying moments of the encounter.

Swallows had carried an impressive 3-0 lead courtesy of goals from striker Siyabonga Nomvethe and midfielder Giorgi Nergadze.

“It was a good game but you can’t take a three-goal lead and become complacent,” Swallows coach Gordon Igesund said after the match.

“We needed to take control of the game, but gave them too much room, allowing them to come back to the game.”

Ajax even missed a penalty — twice, in fact, after it had to be retaken — courtesy of striker Thembinkosi Fanteni.

“I think football all over the world is about creating chances. If you can’t score then you don’t win,” said Ajax coach Maarten Stekelenburg.

Friday’s other result saw coach Boebie Solomon’s Santos beat Maritzburg United 2-1 at Athlone Stadium.

United have struggled in recent matches, and coach Ian Palmer’s outfit suffered a third successive defeat in as many weekends.

On Saturday evening Kaizer Chiefs beat Platinum Stars 1-0 at Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane, to claim second spot on the table.

The goal came courtesy of a Lucky Baloyi header on the stroke of half-time with Amakhosi second ahead of Swallows due to a better goal difference.

Chiefs and Swallows now carry 19 points after nine games — two adrift of United, who remain the only unbeaten side this season.

The loss did not sit well with Stars coach Owen da Gama who felt his side should have been awarded a penalty in the second-half when Joseph Molongoane was fouled in the box.

“Chiefs outplayed us in the first-half but we were excellent as well in the second-half where we came back well,” said Da Gama.

“But my players got no protection in the match and were kicked. Some of the [refereeing] decisions were really not good.”

Other results saw AmaZulu claim a hard-fought 2-0 win over Bloemfontein Celtic at Moses Mabhida Stadium.

At Goble Park in Bethlehem, Free State Stars dominated Golden Arrows, beating them 3-1 in rainy conditions. – Sapa