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Maema the goal hero in thrilling Tshwane derby
Sundowns have opened up a 14-point gap at the top.
Maema scored the winner in the Pretoria derby. Picture: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images)
Given the amount of missed chances, the capital city derby between Mamelodi Sundowns and SuperSport United could have easily produced an avalanche of goals last night, but spectators at Loftus Versfeld were only treated to a single goal.
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Defending DStv Premiership champions — who have now won 11 games in a row in the league — bagged bragging rights and all three points to extend their lead to 14 points ahead of second-placed Richards Bay and will travel to the FNB Stadium this weekend in good shape.
In contrast, Arthur Zwane’s Glamour Boys are extremely low in confidence as they host Downs after suffering a 4-0 embarrassment at the hands of AmaZulu this past week.
Neo Maema opened the scoring for Masandawana two minutes before half time. However, the credit has to go to the industrious Cassius Mailula, who refused to back down from a challenge from Zukile Kewuti.
The exciting Mailula took his marker all the way to the by-line, and just when it seemed Kewuti had everything under control, Mailula, somehow, managed to provide the assist even when he was on the ground. Maema fired into a wide open net as goalkeeper George Chigova had already left his line to commit.
Frustrated
Meanwhile, Matsatsantsa A Pitori head coach, Gavin Hunt, cut a frustrated figure on the bench as he was on his feet, barking instructions and orders to his players.
In the first half, SuperSport were denied a penalty when Mothobi Mvala made a strong challenge on Thapelo Maseko. However, the man in the middle was not convinced, adding to the pain of Hunt.
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In the second stanza, SuperSport came close to finding the back of the net when Maseko played a defence splitting pass to Aubrey Ngoma, who had Ronwen Williams well-beat, but could not keep his shot on target in the 68th minute.
10 minutes later, striker Peter Shalulile almost gave Downs a two-goal cushion when a Thabiso Kutumela fought hard to win the ball, laid it on to Shalulile, but the angle was far too tight for the Namibian to direct it as he agonizingly watched the ball crawl across the face of goal.
At the other end, Maseko struck the upright in the dying moments of the game to conclude what was an unlucky night for SuperSport.
