Northerns loses to Kempton in a thrilling clash

Striker Bekithemba Maphosa scored a brace to help Kempton Park to a 4-3 victory in a thrilling Eastern Super League encounter on March 23.

Maphosa scored in each half of a game that had everything in an entertaining 90 minutes on the Northerns main field.

The teams treated fans to a breathtaking and relentlessly quick game packed with chances, moments of individual brilliance and a few defensive lapses. But it left the home side with lots to think about after suffering their second league loss.

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The visitors held a two-goal advantage on two separate occasions but were pegged back by a Northerns side that refused to buckle in front of their home fans.

They had an opportunity early on when Emmanuel Kaunda’s header hit the cross-bar from a free-kick floated from the right by Jonisile Phuthumani.

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The ball found Kaunda unmarked on the far side. He headed it down, and it flew past keeper Cole Simpson and brushed the top of the cross-bar.

Kempton opened the scoring moments later through Phuthumani after Khazimla Sambokwe’s hard work down the flank.

Sambokwe did brilliantly to keep the ball on the field. He fed Kaunda and, after turning his marker, passed to Phuthumani. The midfielder held off a defender, twisted, turned and squeezed the ball past Simpson to make it 1-0.

But Sipho Pooe levelled matters when he capitalised on defender Mojo Mohanelwa’s back-pass that lacked speed and power. Pooe took full advantage of the opportunity and put it inside the net to bring his team back into the contest.

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Kempton kept poking and was rewarded when Maphosa made it two. The forward received a long pass from his keeper. Sandwiched between Michael Juanas-Uriol and Kgotso Mohare, he audaciously trapped the ball with the side of his foot and outmuscled the duo before beating Simpson to increase the tally.

The visitors went into the break in the lead.

Northerns returned with renewed energy and almost equalised through Nicholas Farinha early in the second half. Lebo Mamale played a through ball to Sbonelo Sibanyoni, and the winger crossed it to Farinha. The striker unleashed a scorcher, but his strike sailed inches above the posts.

Maphosa grabbed his second and the team’s third when he pounced on a long ball from the back before Northerns defender Josh Murray reduced the deficit with a tap-in from close range.

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The Kempton coach brought on Rudolph Komape, and the forward rewarded his mentor with a piece of individual brilliance deep in the half. He received a long pass from Phuthumani, danced around his marker, and curled it past Simpson to make it four.

Farinha scored Northerns’ third with a well-struck free-kick, but the damage was already done when Kempton grabbed all three points with a 4-3 win.

The reserve teams played to a three-all draw.