Profligate Downs pay the price
● Polokwane City’s Rodney Ramagalela scored a winning goal to help his team defeat his former club Mamelodi Sundowns for the second time this season in an Absa Premiership encounter at Peter Mokaba Stadium yesterday.
Ramagalela scored twice when Rise and Shine defeated the Brazilians 2-1 in Pretoria in September and his ninth league goal of the season yesterday saw him going three clear on the leading scorers chart.
It took only three minutes for Pitso Mosimane’s team to lead, with former Kaizer Chiefs winger George Lebese scoring his second league goal in a Brazilians shirt after being left in acres of space inside the box when he received a sweet cross from skipper Hlompho Kekana on the right.
Sundowns have only themselves to blame for giving away precious points they looked set to bag against a Polokwane side which was yet to win a home league match this season. Yesterday’s match was Polokwane’s ninth at home this season.
The Brazilians had eight clear-cut chances in the first half but took only one before they had their backs against the wall in the second stanza that saw Polokwane taking the lead through Sammy Seabi and Walter Musona’s goals before Oupa Manyisa restored parity (2-2) in the 65th minute.
Sundowns should have gone to the break with a healthy lead with all the gilt-edged chances that fell to Percy Tau, Themba Zwane and Manyisa, who has found the form that made him a household name at his former club, Orlando Pirates.
Polokwane never had a clear look at Sundowns’ goal with possession dominated by their slick visitors in the first 45 minutes. Both sides came to this match having played 14 matches, with Ramagalela on eight goals — a tally that’s more than half of the goals his team had scored in the league so far. One of Ramagalela’s goals against Sundowns in September was a beauty of a half volley which earned him Goal of the Month for August/September, which he won along with his Player of the Month award for October. Sundowns were three points clear of Free State Stars on top of the log but came to this match licking their wounds after being humbled 1-0 at home by Benni McCarthy’s Cape Town City. City’s win over Pitso Mosimane’s side came as a huge surprise following Downs’ four impressive successive victories against Bloemfontein Celtic (4-1), Maritzburg United (1-0), Golden Arrows (10) and Baroka FC (4-0), with Percy Tau scoring four of his six goals in those matches.