Kermit on song as Citizens dispatch Black Leopards in Mother City
Kermit Erasmus scored the winning goal for Cape Town City over Black Leopards on Friday night. Photo: Ryan Wilkisky/BackpagePix Kermit Erasmus scored the winning goal for Cape Town City over Black Leopards on Friday night. Photo: Ryan Wilkisky/BackpagePix
CAPE TOWN – Cape Town City had striker Kermit Erasmus to thank for their 1-0 victory over relegation-threatened Black Leopards at Cape Town Stadium on Friday night.
The Citizens’ marksman headed the winner in the 62nd minute for his ninth goal of the season.
City move up from 12th to ninth in the Premiership standings on 23 points, while Leopards drop a place to second bottom on 17 points.
Both sides lost possession too easily early on.
City were the more threatening though and from a corner travelling to the far post Roland Putsche headed into the path of Erasmus who has two pots at goalkeeper Jonas Mendes, but he isn’t able to make clean contact inside the six-yard box.
The hosts continue to own proceedings moving the ball down both flanks, their passing game and inter-play at close quarters now pleasing to the eye.
The visitors from Thohoyandou do well to stave off threats deep inside their half and opt for the counter-attack as their weapon of choice.
Another solid defensive display 💪
Skipper Thami Mkhize commands his troops to another 3 points and clean sheet 🔥 #iamCityFC pic.twitter.com/zdAtqpxiKQ
— Cape Town City FC (@CapeTownCityFC) January 24, 2020
Erasmus had another crack at the keeper in the 13th minute shooting low from outside the penalty area, but the Bafana Bafana marksman just misses the target with Mendes at full stretch to his left side.
Leopards hardly threaten and the one time they do get a free-kick outside the penalty areas Lifa Hlongwane sends his shot high and wide.
Lidoda Duvha haven’t exactly got the best record on the road heading in the bout and that is the reason why they find themselves at the wrong end of the table. They’ve won only two of their last 32 top-flight matches, the run dating back to 2012. The sole victory this season was at Maritz burg United in August last year.
For a side desperate for three points to ease their plight, one would have thought they would have arrived in the Mother City determined to make a fist of it, but the men in yellow showed little in the way of urgency.
Putsche in the heart of midfield and Mpho Makola operating behind his four-man defence were making the plays for City, but the likes of Erasmus and wingers Bradley Ralani and Fakrie Lakay are kept at bay by a determined defence that was the catalyst to spark life into the front six who now awake up from their slumber. A couple of shots are targeted at City’s tall Dutch keeper Peter Leeuwenburgh, the last fired in at him by striker Thobani Mncwango straight into his gloves from close range. Hlongwane down the left flank was proving to be a menace.
Moments before halftime Erasmus’ header rebounds off the crossbar and into the path of Thabo Nodada, but the little midfielder can’t find the target with a header.
If consistency was a picture 🔥
Another game, another goal for @Erasmus_95💉 #iamCityFC pic.twitter.com/PYzqZNQP99
— Cape Town City FC (@CapeTownCityFC) January 24, 2020
City came out for the second stanza with the same 11 and much the same from the men in blue. While they pass the ball around well in the build-up, once they move into the final third the final pass and decision-making is something that needs to be worked on by coach Jan Olde Riekerink, who since taking on the job in October has bemoaned the shortage of clear-cut scoring opportunities.
But the Dutch tactician would have been pleased with Erasmus’ leap to meet Thabo Nodada’s corner kick and break the deadlock.
The two sides traded punches for the remainder of the game and in the end City did enough to win for back-to-back victories and fifth overall from 20 games that propels them away from the relegation zone.