Kempton KPFC strides forward

IT rained goals at the Italian Club where Kempton Park took on Olympia at the weekend, beating them 5-3.

After four consecutive clean sheets and a good point taken from league leaders Randburg the week before, Kempton’s firsts started the game supremely confident. Perhaps they were a little too confident because their defense looked as if they had never played together before and a host of errors littered the first quarter of the game.

Kempton went a goal behind when Quenn Hartridge was dispossessed on the right-hand side and the Olympia striker clinically rolled the ball in beyond Dean Workman.

On 20 minutes Kempton were two down. Zuks Bahlakazi completely missed a through ball and allowed Olympia a run on goal. The ball went to the left and despite Workman’s half save, it was bundled home to double Olympia’s lead.

Kempton rallied and a fine save from a Warren Gardner strike. as well as some desperate defending, kept Kempton at bay. The management team of Trevor Botha and Graeme Rutherford decided that extraordinary measures were needed and a double substitution was made half an hour in.

Kempton pulled a goal back when Grant Terrey charged down the left, exchanged a one-two with Dion Homela and drilled a low shot just inside the right-hand post to make it 2-1.

On the stroke of half time Ociano Pretorius found Ziv Varenga with a pin point pass and the striker turned his man and managed to get a toe onto the ball before it was gathered by the onrushing Olympia keeper.

It seemed to take an age to hit the net but suddenly things were looking up for the reds and the break arrived with things all square.

Five minutes into the second half Kempton took the lead for the first time. Didi Kasalu, who had been brilliant since coming on as a first half sub, marauded down the left-hand touchline and fed the ball to Varenga whose perfect cross was met by Gardner who headed it in easily.

Kempton looked to capitalise but, again, defensive brittleness ensued when a speculative shot was parried by Workman. The ball looped into the air and a well-placed Olympia striker headed in the easiest of chances.

Despite their total dominance of the game, Kempton had conceded three and found themselves level pegging.

Noses to the grindstone, Kempton went in search of another goal. Hope came when Varenga was hauled down in the box and a penalty was awarded.

Unfortunately, Bahlakazi’s well-struck shot was fantastically saved by the Olympia goalie. Summing up his day, Bahlakazi attempted to fire in the rebound but contrived to completely miss the ball and it was cleared away.

Undaunted, Kempton pressed on. Yet another fine run down the left by Kasalu ended with his cross being knocked in by a combination of keeper and defender.

Kempton never looked back with Byron Jarman clearing any faint threat Olympia posed. Dion Homela looked majestic in midfield and the pressure piled on Olympia. Kempton sealed the game when a magnificent sweeping move, started at right back and composing 12 passes and involving seven players, concluded with Varenga side footing in from 12 yards.

It was a spirited comeback and character-filled performance, but Kempton will need to tighten up at the back again with a run of difficult games coming up. Man of the match was Varenga.

The second team lost 1-0 in a scrappy encounter. After being under severe pressure, Olympia broke midway through the first half and fired in their sole strike on target during the entire game.

Kempton dominated throughout but a combination of bad decision making, and poor finishing, let them down. Their dominance was such that during the second half, goalkeeper Gercheon Fienies only touched the ball twice.

It was a poor performance overall and very disappointing for coaches Clive du Preez and Andilee Mehlomakhulu.

Kempton play Benoni Northerns away in the league on Saturday.