Northerns pick up first victory

After suffering a 3-1 defeat in their first encounter of the 2015 Eastern Local Football Association (ELFA) Super League Seniors, to Union, on Tuesday, March 17, Northerns were hoping to bounce back strongly against Alberton Football Club, at home, on Saturday.

The team, skippered by Wade Marshall, did exactly that on a windy and rainy Saturday afternoon in Benoni with a deserved 3-1 victory.

Northerns opened the scoring through a well-placed, left-footed strike by Mpendulo “Skinny” Lukhele from a free-kick just outside the visitors’ penalty area.

Their joy was short-lived, though, as Alberton immediately equalised through a ludicrous shot, straight from kick-off, that caught the wind and sailed over BNFC goalkeeper Colte Smit’s head.

The shock of conceding that audacious goal did not last long, as Lukhele completed a brace of goals with his second strike, not long before half-time, to send coach Jannie van den Berg’s men into the break with a 2-1 lead.

In the second period of the match, van den Berg introduced the dangerous and speedy forward Brogan Shrimpton, who was making his return to the team from a knee injury.

The introduction of the substitute proved a master-stroke from the coach, as Shrimpton stretched his team’s lead about two minutes after stepping onto the pitch.

The Northerns team kept control of the game after the third, and limited the number of chances for the opposition to hold out for the first victory of the campaign.

Van den Berg was, naturally, delighted with the result and said: “I cannot complain about the way we played against an opposition that was a bit volatile.

“We are a work-in-progress at the moment and are certainly going from strength to strength.”

He added that the team stuck to the game plan and that he was impressed with the attitude of the players.

The coach is optimistic ahead of the team’s clash with Bedfordview Country Club away from home on Saturday, March 28.