Cosmos throw away late lead in relegation six-pointer
Late drama gifts Santos point
Posted: Dec 20 2011
Santos scored in the dying seconds to earn a 2-2 draw with Jomo Cosmos in their Absa Premiership basement battle at the Sinaba Stadium on Tuesday night.
The quality of the game lived up to the standard of two sides battling it out at the bottom of the table and the final five minutes was typical of two teams struggling for form, especially in the defensive department.
The loss for Cosmos means they remain rooted to the bottom of the table while the People’s Team remain only three points above them in 14th place.
Santos, though, made their intentions clear early on when Tyren Arendse forced Avril Phali into the first save of the match in only the third minute.
A swift passing movement saw Arendse find some space 14-yards out from goal, but his shot lacked the quality of the build up play and was rather comfortably saved by the Ezenkosi keeper.
Nonetheless, Santos continued to press forward with their next goal scoring opportunity arriving in the 17th minute.
Bheki Shabangu should really have scored for the away team when he latched onto a Tyren Arendse cross with a powerful header from six-yards out, but Shanbagu’s compass was off target as he pushed his effort just wide.
Eleazar Rodgers also came close to breaking the deadlock in the 21st minute when a goalmouth scramble saw the ball fall to his feet ten-yards out from goal, but he also missed the target as he fired over the crossbar.
Four minutes later and Rodgers tried his luck again with a 22-yard effort, but again his shooting lacked direction as his attempt went inches wide of the right-hand post.
As they half progressed the home side started to assert their dominance on the game and certainly finished the first 45 minutes the stronger of the two teams.
Cosmos were unlucky not to take the lead on the half hour mark when Siyabonga Nontshinga saw his well struck 20-yard shot superbly saved by Ryan Harrison. The Santos keeper did brilliantly, flinging himself across the face of goal to make the fingertip save.
In the 32nd minute Nontshinga was in the action again when he attempted a cheeky lob from the edge of the box, but he saw his effort just skim the right-hand post.
Elhadji Samb, however, definitely had the best chance of the half for the home side five minutes before the break when he made his way into the box and, under hardly any pressure, fired over the crossbar from 12-yards out.
All Cosmos’ hard work, though, was undone at the start of the second 45 when three minutes after the break Santos took the lead.
Rodgers did brilliantly to rise above the Ezenkosi defence to meet a Jurie Basie right wing cross with a deadly header that found the bottom left hand corner of the goal, 1-0.
Following the goal, the Ezenkosi really struggled to create goal scoring chances and just as they looked set to lose their ninth match of the season Tshidiso Tukane found an equaliser.
Bamuza Sono drive down the flank and supplied an inch perfect cross to find Tukane who made no mistake heading home from ten-yards out, 1-1.
This set up an exciting final couple of minutes as the Ezenkosi set out their stalls to find a winner, which they thought they achieved in the 90th minute when Meiring found the back of net from 12-yards out with a well-placed shot, 2-1.
However, seconds away from only their second victory of the league season, Wayne Arendse spoiled Cosmos’ party with virtually the last touch of the game, heading home a Graham King left wing cross to snatch a share of the spoils, 2-2.
The result does not help either team as they both remain in the positions they were at the start of the match. At least they will take solace in the fact that they did not lose their last game of 2012.
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: 2011-12-20 22:56
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