By Chris Totobela
A decent crowd made its way to JD Dlepu Stadium on Saturday to witness a relegation battle between two local sides. City Pirates and Jacaranda Aces locked horns in a six-pointer of the Hollywood Bets regional league and both teams are fighting to avoid the drop to the LFA.
The game started with both teams playing cautiously, not committing too much. Abachathazi had the better of the early exchanges, using their wing play very effectively, forcing Pirates to defend deep into their half but failed to convert their chances.
Pirates absorbed a lot of pressure and tried to catch Aces in transition. The game halted for about ten minutes as two opposing players collided severely. They were both trying to head the ball, but it was a massive relief to both camps as both players left the field on their feet. The first half ended goalless.
The second half started at a high pace, with both teams now playing more purposefully and putting their foot on the ball while trying to win the intense midfield battle. Aces once again had the better ball possession but looked indecisive every time they reached the last third of the field. Aces’s Onwabisa Magutywa kept the Pirates’ defence busy the whole afternoon and was a thorn in their skin but seemed to hold on too much on the ball at times, allowing the Pirates’ defence to regroup.
Pirates finally made Aces pay for their missed chances as Sbahle “Fakaza” Ndyolashe beat the oncoming Aces goalminder with a header to give his team the lead after the Aces’s defence failed to deal with a high ball that was launched into the box from the halfway line after they had conceded a free kick.
Abachathazi dusted themselves off and fought hard to get themselves back into the game, but the Pirates’ defence stood firm. Veteran defender Malibongwe Hempe marshalled that defence well and won most of the aerial duels.
Tempers flared, and fists were exchanged after several dangerous tackles from both camps, but the referee managed the game very well, deciding to caution both guilty parties.
Aces’s defence was once again caught napping after failing to deal with another high ball as one of their defenders flicked the ball backwards to Sinethemba “Shonga” Magi, who was in an offside position but played on by the Aces’s last touch on the ball. He controlled the ball and calmly slotted it home to double his team’s lead.
Aces did not stop trying but it was just not their day as they continued to fumble in front of the opposition’s goal mouth and missed clear scoring chances.
The referee blew the final whistle, and Pirates took all the maximum points and steered their ship away from the dreaded relegation zone.
