Clayton Daniels of Cape Town Spurs challenges Pogiso Mabote of Casric Stars at Solomon Mahlangu Stadium on Sunday. Clayton Daniels of Cape Town Spurs challenges Pogiso Mabote of Casric Stars at Solomon Mahlangu Stadium on Sunday. Photo: Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix
Cape Town — Cape Town Spurs’ quest for promotion to the Premiership started in all earnestness with a slender 1-0 win over Casric Stars in their opening PSL promotion-relegation playoff match at the Solomon Mahlangu Stadium, Mpumalanga, on Sunday afternoon.
Stars and Spurs, the two Motsepe Foundation Championship teams, both missed out on an opportunity to gain automatic promotion to the top flight. They failed to win in the final round of NFD matches two weeks ago.
They were meeting for the third time this season. In regular league matches, Spurs won their first-round encounter and Stars were triumphant in the second.
Hosts Stars, backed by a band which was in full cry from the opening whistle, were full of fight at the start of the match. This approach gave visitors Spurs, who seemed a shade tardy at the start, little chance to settle down and they lost the ball a few times.
In the second minute referee Jelly Chavane blew Spurs up for an infringement on the edge of their penalty area. Straight away there were nervous smiles on the faces of the Spurs defenders who must have recalled the refereeing nightmare they endured in their last league game of the season against the University of Pretoria last weekend.
The referee at the time Cedric Muvhali awarded Pretoria a penalty out of the blue and this led to the goal that eventually proved a major setback for Spurs in their effort to gain automatic promotion.
Leftback Ngoanamello Rammala stepped up for the free-kick which was a mere stride away from Spurs’ penalty area. However, his effort went high over the posts, much to the relief of Spurs.
This let-off seemed to raise a sense of urgency in Spurs’ ranks and launched a wave of attacks in the opposition half without creating real scoring opportunities. Their best chance fell to Boitumelo Radiopane, who is on loan from Orlando Pirates, but he turned his header past the upright when it was easier to be on target.
For most of the opening half, Spurs held the upper hand without creating scoring opportunities. They were inclined to lose their way whenever they ventured into the final third.
Stars finished the half strongly and three scoring shots, in quick succession, were all off target, and the teams returned to the dressing-rooms with their defences intact.
Both teams again made for an enterprising start, but this time Spurs were not dominating and for some time Stars looked the likelier to score.
However, just past the hour mark, Spurs scored a goal through their right-wing Ashley Cupido, who scored with a header after Stars’ defence failed to deal with a goalmouth cross from striker Jarrod Moroole.
Cupido has been in prolific form this season. He has scored 15 goals this season and has been on the wanted list of Kaizer Chiefs.
Seven minutes from their end, acrobatic Stars goalkeeper Kgomotso Baloyi did well to tip a strong drive from Spurs midfielder Morne Nel over the crossbar.
IOL Sport
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