Matchday 23 - Report
Santos FC - Thanda Royal Zulu
CAPE TOWN, March 04 (Absa Premier League) – Two first-half goals from Ryan Chapman were enough to help Santos claim all three points in a lacklustre Absa Premier League victory over Thanda Royal Zulu on Wednesday.
The striker put his side ahead on the half-hour mark, before doubling the advantage on the stroke of half-time.
Substitute Clifford Mulenga did pull a goal back for the visitors midway through the second period, but with both sides lacking cutting edge, the game ended 2-1 to the hosts, who climb to eighth in the table.
In a dull opening 29 minutes, neither side managed to create any serious openings with the ball seeming destined for the middle part of the pitch.
Santos held the better part of the possession and eventually made it count when Phil Evans lunged in on Graham King just outside the penalty area on the right.
Bongi Macala delivered the free-kick and his execution was perfect as the ball came to Chapman in the centre of the penalty area and his header into the top left corner gave Aubrey Mathibe no chance in goal.
Thanda’s first chance came six minutes later when Bevan Fransch fouled Evans, whilst he was charging forward.
The defender stood up to take the ensuing 20-yard free-kick, but his shot was straight at the wall as Roger Palmgren’s team enjoyed their best spell of the game.
They continued to press forward with three testing corners from Bernard Loke well dealt with by the home defence and goalkeeper Wayne Roberts, who had to be at his finest to keep out Felix Obada’s 12-yard shot, which was brilliantly tipped around the post.
But they failed to take full advantage of that dominant spell and were made to pay in the closing moments of the half.
After Eleazar Rodgers tricked his way down the left, he delivered a pinpoint pass for his strike partner Chapman on the edge of the penalty area, who finished with a powerful low finish beyond Mathibe.
Seven minutes into the second half, Palmgren introduced Nkosinathi Nhleko and Mulenga as he desperately sought a route back into the game.
James Madidilani almost found it with a testing shot from just inside the box that drew a fine parried save from Roberts, before Obada wastefully fired over.
And the lifeline goal arrived in the 69th minute – a long goal-kick by Mathibe made its way to Mulenga and he sent in a cracking right-foot volley from the penalty spot as Thanda halved the deficit.
But they struggled to create any more real openings in the closing stages, with the best opportunity falling to Peter Ndlovu, who could only divert his header from Japie Motale’s free-kick into the crowd as our boys slumped to defeat.