City Stars impress with their winning performance
Barberton City Stars appear to have finally found their goal-scoring form after they comfortably hammered Apollo XI 4-1 during a Mpumalanga ABC Motsepe League encounter, which was held at Barberton Prison Sports ground last Wednesday.
Ingucungucu, headed into this encounter having completed their first four-goal ratio per game after having hammered Pienaar-based side God-Chosen 4-0 at KaNyamazane Stadium on March 28.
The local side overcame the visitors (Apollo) thanks to a brace by Andile “Makhishi” Fakudze, and a strike each from Metsi “Manzi Agelezayo” Moeketsi and Mbongiseni “Mgabadzeli” Dhladla made sure of the points after Gunyi Ntsako had pulled a goal back for the visitors.
With goals flying in of late for Stars and the team showing more pace and intensity, Wednesday’s game was like the good old times are back again at prison ground.
In-fact, it was one of the best displays the team has put together under their current coach Patrick “Bazooka” Phiri, with quick and accurate passing, dynamic movement and clinical finishing.
Following their 4-0 win over God-Chosen, it certainly looks like the shackles of poor form and goal drought that gripped the local side in the past months have been well and truly shaken off.
Their early hard-work and persistence paid off as they found the opener on 12th minute when Fakudze burst forward and unleashed a dipping low shot from the edge of the box that left Sandile Kunene, in goals for Apollo, beaten. The local side doubled their lead in seven minutes when Moeketsi tapped in a loose ball following a break in communication between Apollo’s keeper and his defenders.
The visitors responded well in the 40th minute when a half-volley strike from outside the 18-area by Ntsako left Stars keeper, Sibusiso Masuku gasping for air, trying to find out what might have rattled his back-net so hard.
After the match had went into recess Stars leading 2-1, the local side brought in Sibusiso “Tito” Manzini, who became a thorn in the side of Apollo the moment he entered the pitch.
Less than five minutes after he had entered the pitch, the tricky Manzini earned Apollo midfielder Lucas Malambe a red card. This is after he had danced in front of Malambe with the ball before he lost his patience and hacked the tiny built Manzini in front of referee Mandla Nkosi.
Nkosi didn’t hesitate to issue a straight red card to Malambe.
Once Apollo was reduced to 10 men, the match became a back and forth tussle in the middle of the park. Stars opted to sit deep in order to soak up the Apollo pressure as they looked more threatening as they moved into the last third of the pitch. Stars kept things compact at the back and restricted their visitors to get an equalizer.
Absorbing the pressure well, Stars restored their 2-goal lead cushion when a cleared corner-kick found Manzini out of his box before he launched a counter attack, which was beautifully finished off by Dhladla with a thunderous shot. Fakudze ensured that Stars’ four goals per game remained intact when he completed his brace in the dying minutes.
Stars will this week visit eMalahleni All Stars at Mpumalanga Stadium in eMalahleni. It will be the third time the two sides meet this season. In the first encounter, eMzinoni dashed Stars’ Nedbank Cup dreams when they beat them 2-0 in the preliminary round.
In a corresponding league fixture at the prison grounds last December, Stars triumphed 3-1, thanks to goals scored by Manzini, Sipho “Shaka Zulu” Sukazi and Ramidi “Charley” Malopo.
Other Wednesday results were: Young Highlanders 0, Mapulaneng United 1; Mhluzi Black Rangers 0, Phiva Young Stars 4; FC Benfica 1, Apollo XI 1; Secunda Stars 1, East High Academy 0; Tjakastaad Junior Sheppards 0, Mbombela United 0.
