Masopa rescues locals from the jaws of defeat
Lerato Masopa rescued Highlands Park from the jaws of defeat when he scored in the last minute of referee's optional time to force a 2-all draw against Royal Eagles in an entertaining game played at Makhulong Stadium on Sunday.
Some of the local fans and die-hard supporters had already left the stadium when the lanky Masopa connected with a good cross from the left flank before beating the keeper hands down.
Coming back to the game, both teams started the encounter at a fast pace, and the locals nearly opened the score in the first minute, but their reliable captain Simphiwe Tshabalala miscued the ball with only the keeper to beat. But they opened the score in the third minute when the visitors’ right back Tinyiko Sambo, mistimed his back pass to the keeper.
Samkelo Nkosi intercepted the ball and slotted it into an empty net.
Their joy was however, short-lived because from the centre mark, the Eagles forced the locals to concede a corner kick.
They equalised through the resultant corner kick when the locals’ defence lost concentration and allowed an unmarked Sambo to score with a beautiful header.
It was 1-all at the break. The Eagles surged ahead when they scored from a goal scramble after only six minutes into the second half. Highlands Park tried to equalise for the better part of the second half until Masopa saved them in the dying seconds of the game.
After the game, Highlands Park’s co-director Sinky Mnisi congratulated the boys for showing character by equalising right at the death. “Today we showed that the boys are really gelling well, and hopefully, we are going to win our next game,” he said.
@TheTembisan
