Old Bens celebrate league victory after final home game
Old Bens celebrated league victory at their final home game on Saturday.
There was cause for celebration at Old Bens Football Club, on Saturday, August 30, when their first team capped their final home game of the season as champions of the ELFA Super League Seniors Division Two.
Raymond Cloete’s team hosted Parktonians at Currin Park and completed their home fixtures for the year with a solid 5-1 victory.
The team still have two away games to play [against Edenvale and Germiston] before the current campaign draws to an end.
The Bens team have not lost a league game this season and have won on 14 occasions.
Their only defeat came in the ELFA Super League Cup to Alberton in the last 16.
Old Bens have also not been shy in front of goal, with 42 goals scored so far and only 12 conceded.
Saturday’s encounter started badly for Cloete’s men when they conceded an early penalty, which was subsequently converted, to put Parktonians 1-0 up.
As the half continued, Bens upped the pressure and missed numerous scoring opportunities before Jethson Cloete found the equaliser to take the teams into the break with one goal each.
In the second period, the floodgates opened in the Parktonians defence and the Bens attackers capitalised on their opposition’s poor defending.
Lesiba Modau, Eduardo Mendes and Kenny Masuku (a brace) added four more goals to the home team’s tally to end their home games on a high.
Commenting on the result, the Old Bens coach said: “It was a great result because it means we have not been beaten at home in the league this season.
“We still have two hard away games left to play and those teams still have a lot to play for, so we need to stay disciplined if we want to end the league unbeaten.”
Their league victory is an exciting one for Benoni’s football lovers, as it means the team will gain promotion to the ELFA Seniors Super League Division One, where they will square up against longtime rivals Benoni Northerns, both at home and away, in the famous “Benoni Derby”.
With regards to their promotion to Super League One, Cloete said: “That is going to be a completely different story.
“If we can just survive and finish in the top 10 we will be happy.
“Hopefully, we can keep the players we have now and also attract some new ones.
“We are just happy to be back.”
Benoni Northerns Football Club’s first team coach, Flavio Mariuzzi, congratulated Cloete and his Old Bens team for their promotion to Super League One and said he was thrilled that the Benoni Derby would take place again, next season.
“We are looking forward to meeting them on the field again; the league is not the same without Old Bens,” he added.
Click here for more images from Saturday’s game at Currin Park.
