Polokwane snatch draw from the jaws of victory
MATSHELANE MAMABOLO
Polokwane City (1) 2
Ramabu 8, Mashikinya 63
Cape Town City (1) 2
Kutumela 45, Mayo 47
POLKWANE City are fast becoming the DStv Premiership’s masters of capitulation. The Limpopo outfit were once again their own worst enemies yesterday afternoon when they dropped points in a match they should easily have won.
Instead, they drew 2-2 with Cape Town City despite having raced into a 2-0 lead before the hour mark, as they inexplicably allowed the Citizens back into the match.
They did the same against Richards Bay, whom they led 2-1 only to lose 3-2, and in their last match they drew 1-1 with SuperSport United when they seemed destined for a 1-0 victory.
Mokibelo Ramabu opened the scoring against City yesterday with a well-struck shot that the City goalkeeper Darren Keet could not keep out despite getting his hands to it. The winger had received the ball unmarked on the right and enjoyed free passage into the box and even time and space to shoot.
It was 2-0 on 29 minutes courtesy of Given Mashikinhya, who slotted home the loose ball after Luciano van Heereden’s attempt had ricocheted off the inside of the upright with Keet a beaten man.
City pulled one back just before the half-time whistle through a header by Thabiso Kutumela from a corner kick to make a contest of a match that was fast threatening to become the equivalent of a Sunday stroll in the park for Polokwane.
Just shortly before the goal, Thamsanqa Mkhize had watched in disbelief as his header bounced off the upright. City scored the equaliser immediately after half-time via Khanyisa Mayo, who slotted home from close range following a well-taken free kick.
Thereafter the match see-sawed from end to end. The home side had most of the better chances but their forwards were particularly wasteful – often taking the wrong final decisions or just fluffing their lines like an unprepared actor.
Polokwane’s failure to kill off matches they looked to be winning is fast diminishing their chances of breaking into the coveted top-eight bracket that would earn them participation in the money-spinning MTN8 competition next season.