Matchday 29 - Report
Thanda Royal Zulu 2 - Platinum Stars 1
DURBAN, May 06 (Absa Premier League) - Thanda Royal Zulu will have one final chance to try and save their Absa Premier League status after Clifford Mulenga‚s 88th minute winner helped them steal all the points against Platinum Stars on Wednesday.
In what was a tightly contested game at the SJ Smith Stadium, the visitors took the lead through Godfrey Sapula shortly before half time, with Sibusiso Hadebe replying seven minutes after the break.
Both sides had plenty of chances to win the game thereafter, including a missed penalty from Nkosinathi Nhleko, but it came down to the final two minutes for the fleet-footed Zambian to break Stars‚ resistance.
The three points for Mlungisi Ngubane's team now moves them to 32 points, one behind Bloemfontein Celtic, who trounced Bay United 3-0, and three behind Maritzburg United - their opponents for the final day of the season.
It was a surprisingly open game in Durban with the home side doing all the early running through their central midfielders and the two players on either wing.
The first chance of the game fell to Clement Mazibuko, who pulled his 20-yard effort narrowly wide to the right, while Mulenga also delivered an outstanding strike on the turn that narrowly missed the target.
Wayne Sandilands was called into action for the first time in the 18th minute when Joseph Kibe fired straight at the Tycoons goalkeeper, but the first real test for either custodian came at the other end.
Phumudzo Manenzhe easily opened up the Thanda defence and sent in an accurate shot from the left side of the penalty area that Aubrey Mathibe managed to tip around the post.
That move seemed to bring Stars to life and Bradley Grobler and Sapula both fired wide with the goal at their mercy, before Dillon Sheppard‚s free-kick from the left was perfectly met by Willem Jackson, whose flying volley was somehow kept out by Mathibe.
But the deadlock was finally broken after 42 minutes when Henrico Botes picked out midfielder Sapula with his left side cross and the former Sundowns ace left the goalkeeper stranded with a superb finish from the edge of the penalty area.
The scores remained that way until the 52nd minute when a mazy run and cross by Felix Obada on the right was guided home by Hadebe.
The game opened up even more after that with Mulenga, Obada and Musa Nyatama all missing for the hosts along with Joseph Mkalipa and Manenzhe for the visitors.
Nhleko then missed the best chance from the penalty spot in the 78th minute after he was fouled by George Mofokeng in the box.
The big striker could only find the upright with his attempt as another good chance went begging.
But Mulenga made amends, finishing off Obada‚s cross from 12-yards out as Thanda stole a 2-1 win.