LATE WINNER MAKES IT ANOTHER FRIDAY NIGHT TO REMEMBER
6 March 2020
Daylon Claasen’s 82nd minute goal earned Maritzburg United a 1-0 Absa Premiership win over Polokwane City at the Harry Gwala Stadium on Friday night.
In front of a full house United had been frustrated for most of the evening as they struggled to find the creative spark to prise open the Limpopo team.
But eight minutes from the end of regulation Claasen popped up with a well-executed header to make it four league wins on the trot for the KZN Capital City side.
Maritzburg United enjoyed the better of the first half exchanges, but despite having around eight attempts on goal, they never really looked like scoring.
Bongokuhle Hlongwane caused problems for the Polokwane defence from the start and sent a seventh minute shot over the bar before showing a neat bit of skill to create an opportunity for a volley, but was unable to find the target.
Man-of-the-Match Thabiso Kutumela was also asking questions of the visiting side’s defence and was not far off with a curling effort from a tight angle in the 19th minute.
There were also opportunities for Keagan Buchanan and Tebogo Tlolane, but neither could hit the target.
Instead the Team of Choice came closest to scoring when Polokwane defender Denis Chimbeze deflected a Buchanan free kick towards his own goal, with only a brilliant save by George Chigova keeping the ball out the net.
At the other end, Richard Ofori only had a couple of routine saves to make.
After a lively start to the second half from both sides, Kutumela connected sweetly on the volley with a Buchanan corner, but was denied by a fantastic reflex save by Chigova.
Rise and Shine remained in the game and had a couple of decent chances midway through the second stanza.
Then with 12 minutes to go, Claasen had the chance to score when the ball broke to him on the edge of the area, only to fire over.
It proved inconsequential however as the same player netted the winner four minutes later when he rose well to connect with a back-post header from a Dan Morgan corner kick.
The visitors piled the pressure on in search of an equaliser as the game went into added time and Mxolisi Kunene did well with a vital interception close to his own goal before the three pointgs could be secured.
TEAMS
Maritzburg: Ofori, Sanoka, Morgan, De Reuck, Kunene, Kutumela, Buchanan, Ntshangase, Claasen, Tlolane, Hlongwane
Subs: Mpandle, Jappie, Nyoni, Moseamedi, Shandu, Xulu, Timm
Polokwane: Chibwe Semenya, Nkili, J Maluleke, Buthelezi, Chembezi, Nene, Booi, Phiri, Mashumba, P. Tlolane
Subs: Chigova, Chauke, Mngomezulu, W. Maluleke, Hlubi, Myaba, Hlatshwayo
 
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