Rhodes University kept their composure in an entertaining match against fellow Makana premier division newcomers Green Leaves to maintain their perfect start of the season with a 3-2 win.
Rhodes University kept their composure in an entertaining match against fellow Makana premier division newcomers Green Leaves to maintain their perfect start of the season with a 3-2 win.
Rhodes collected maximum points after coming from behind on two occasions before Sicelo Dumakude made sure of the points with a neatly taken goal in the 60th minute of the game.
Lindile Saki put Green Leaves ahead in the first half Rhodes’s Ncedo Mnono pulled a goal back towards the end of the half for a one-all score line in halftime.
In the second half, Rhodes were seeing much of the ball in the middle of the park, but wasted numerous opportunities in front of goal. Green Leaves then punished the home team for their lacklustre performance in the final third when Akhona Nkwinti let fly just outside the 18-yard line, past goalie Marcus Schaefer, for a 2-1 lead.
The goal seemed to wake up the home side as they pressured the visitors in search of an equaliser.
Ncedo Mnono wasted a perfect opportunity to put his team in the lead as he put the ball straight to the keeper after slicing through the defence to go one on one.
About a minute later the scores were level.
Sivuyile Mnquxu calmly slotted a penalty past the keeper after a foul inside the box.
Sicelo Dumakude would then make sure the visitors went home empty handed as he scored the third for Rhodes. This gave Rhodes two wins in their first two league matches.
Rhodes shot-stopper Marcus Schaefer said he was satisfied with his team’s performance, though he felt they should have done better.
“It was a good win for us, but we wasted too many chances in front of goals.
“You can tell by the level of competition that we are in a higher league,” he said.
Green Leaves coach Siyanda Mbunga said there were a lot of positives to be taken from the game – even after losing their first game of the league.
“Losing this way is not bad for the team, because the game was very good. "W were just unlucky not to win it,” he said.
