Baxter’s men lunge lazily forward
WHILE reigning PSL and Caf Champions League champions Mamelodi Sundowns would have been enjoying the hangover from their Super Cup victory against TP Mazembe on Saturday night, their neighbours Super-Sport United huffed and puffed their way to an ugly win against Elgeco Plus in the second-tier Caf Confederation Cup preliminary round.
This was meant to be a walk in the park for United against the plucky side from Madagascar but Stuart Baxter’s men made heavy weather of proceedings by missing a plethora of goal scoring chances that should have put the game to bed by the end of the first half.
What was at the heart of United’s inability to make good on their many attacking plays, was that age old problem in SA football of poor finishing, a lack of composure in front of goal and Elgeco’s goalkeeper Bastia Eddit.
The keeper pulled off enough saves to frustrate Super-Sport United and distract the likes of Jeremy Brockie, pictured, Fagrie Lakay, Thuso Phala and Aubrey Modiba.
It was the same bravery, however, that saw Eddit hand the advantage to the hosts in the 13th minute when he lunged at Brockie’s legs and gave away a penalty, which the New Zealander calmly slotted home.
Brockie’s goal seemed to inspire United but their overzealousness to bury their opponents got the better of them with Onismor Bhasera enjoying too many touches on the ball instead of shooting before Brockie’s deft touch in the 20th minute sailed over the crossbar.
Modiba epitomised the hosts’ poor finishing when he missed a sitter with the gaping net at his mercy.
United’s woes in front of goal were almost compounded by the lax goalkeeping of Boafela Pule, who nudged a back pass almost over his own goal-line in the 24th minute.
Moments later Pule’s calmness in goal was his undoing as he was beaten by a well-taken long range shot by substitute Ardino Ravelo.
But Lakay finally came good with a calmly slotted goal at close quarters in the 38th minute to restore the home side’s lead and hand them the advantage going into the half-time interval.
As much as most of the second half belonged to the hosts in the same way as the first, it was Eddit who kept that light of hope burning for his team as he continued to thwart the countless attempts at goal by Matsatsantsa a Pitori.
Elgeco’s resilience could have easily made them the team that progresses into the first round of the competition. Likewise, United advanced 2-1 on aggregate after their goalless draw in the first leg. But questions were left unanswered about their ability to emulate the dizzy heights reached by Sundowns.