Platinum Stars beat Aces 3-2
Late win for Platinum Stars
Posted: Aug 29 2010
Coldrin Coetzee scored four minutes into extra time to hand Platinum Stars a 3-2 victory over Mpumalanga Black Aces on Sunday.
Mpho Maleka scored a brace for Aces in the first half, and Stars replied through Thuso Phala, Sibusiso Msomi and Coetzee.
The home side nearly found the opener in the sixth minute when Lindokuhle Mbatha latched onto a long ball and pulled the best out of Stars keeper Siyabonga Mpontshane with a powerful 12-yard shot.
Aces opened the scoring five minutes later. Maleka rose highest to head home a long throw-in from Marco Da Silva. The keeper could do nothing as Maleka’s header found the bottom left corner, 1-0.
Thereafter, Stars started asserting themselves in the game and drew level in the 25th minute. A long throw-in into the box was flicked on by Lithola Mofokeng onto the head of Thuso Phala who was also clinical with his header and equalising for his side, 1-1.
Three minutes from the break, Maleka grabbed his second goal of the game after a piece of individual brilliance saw him make his way past two defenders and left himself with just the keeper to beat. He made no mistake coolly slotting it past the stranded Mpontshane, 2-1.
Stars nearly drew level again in the final minute of the half when Dillon Sheppard tested the goal keeping abilities of Francis Chansa. Sheppard curled a free-kick around the defensive wall and towards the top corner, but Chansa was up to the challenge punching the ball over the bar.
Six minutes into the second half Herico Botes flicked a cross to his teammate Sibusiso Msomi, who did well to control the ball before firing past Chansa to level the scores once again, 2-2.
Maleka should have grabbed his hattrick and his side’s third goal in the 74th minute when a mistake at the back allowed him through on goal and with just the keeper to beat. His shot, however, struck the woodwork to the relief of the keeper.
In the end the game went from goal mouth to goal mouth in an exciting final ten minutes. Coetzee, however, was the hero on the day for Stars as he fired them in front in the 94th minute of the match, 3-2.
Some good interchanges saw Coetzee with a chance on goal and he made no mistake toe-poking the ball under the keeper to give Stars the perfect start to the season.
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