Mpumalanga Black Aces make sure in Nedbank Cup
Aces make sure in Nedbank Cup
Posted: Mar 12 2011
Mpumalanga Black Aces beat a feisty Hanover Park 4-2 in the Nedbank Cup on Saturday afternoon.
Manqoba Ngwenya gave Aces the lead just before the first half. Brent Adonis equalised for Park, before Danny Bowers put them 2-1 up.
Marawaan Bantam, Joseph Makhanya (penalty) and Lindokhule Mbatha made it 4-2 to the Witbank side.
There were 10 changes to the Aces team that lost 2-1 to Ajax Cape Town in the League last week, and that move certainly paid off.
The pace of the match was almost unbearably slow at first, with neither side threatening in the first 15 minutes – the hot weather not helping matters.
Aces had the first real chance of the match, when Lethola Mofokeng and Benedict Vilakazi combined well, but ‘Tso’’s shot went over the bar.
Amazayoni were missing the quality of Mpho Maleka up-front, as Lindokhule Spelman and Mofokeng wasted a good number of chances.
On 29 minutes, Mofokeng had a chance to score, but he chose instead to pass to Ngwenya, whose shot was blocked by the Park defence.
But the home side took the lead just before half-time, when ‘Shakes’ headed home from Bantam’s corner, after a lapse in concentration from the Hanover Park defence.
Amazayoni continued were they left off after the break, and Mofokeng shot wide in the 54th minute.
But on 57 minutes Adonis levelled matters when Aces failed to clear the ball inside their area.
A minute later Park missed the chance to go 2-1 up when Darrel Smith shot wide from inside the box.
On 71 minutes Park came close again, when Mpho Litsoane’s header from a corner-kick was cleared by Vilakazi.
Patience finally paid off for the Cape side when Bowers tapped in from an Adonis cross in the 72nd minute to make it 2-1.
After that goal, Park started to run riot in Aces’ defence, but against the run of play Bantam scored from long range in the 75 minute, to make it 2-2.
Substitute Makhanya hit the post in the 77th minute, after a scramble in the box.
A minute later Craig Jordaan brought Mofokeng down inside the area, and Makhanya slotted the penalty home to put the home side back in front at 3-2.
Park threw everyone forward in search of an equaliser, but Aces caught them on the counter, and Mbatha made it 4-2 in the 86th minute.
Aces had the chance to make it 5, but Myron Shongwe’s shot was just wide in the 92nd minute.
It was a deserved victory for the home side, despite a good showing from Hanover Park.
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: 2011-03-12 18:18
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