Title-chasing Arrows again drop points to Cape Town City

● Lamontville Golden Arrows missed a chance to come within a point of Mamelodi Sundowns at the top of the DStv Premiership table when they were held to a 1-1 draw by Cape Town City at the Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium in Durban yesterday.

Arrows dominated but lacked a killer touch to take the spoils against a side that broke their 12-match unbeaten run in January. The draw is a setback for Mandla Ncikazi’s side, which has performed above expectations this season, particularly in the eight matches since the 4-2 defeat by City.

Arrows have won five, lost one and drawn two, including yesterday, and are now challenging champions Sundowns for the title.

The game could have gone either way as City troubled Arrows with quick counters. It was in one of those transitions with which City caught Arrows off-guard when they took the lead in the fourth minute.

City’s roving rightback Craig Martin blasted a shot against Arrows keeper Sifiso Mlungwana and the rebound was tapped in by striker Abdul Ajagun. It was his second goal in his second match for the club. The Nigerian scored on debut when City lost 2-1 to Stellenbosch FC last week.

Arrows quickly recovered and went close to equalising before top-scorer Velemseni Ndwandwe scored his seventh goal of the season, finishing a loose ball inside the area after City failed to clear Seth Parusnath’s set piece in the 13th minute.

Having come to this match without a victory in six matches (three draws and three defeats) since their win over Arrows, City were expected to struggle against Ncikazi’s side who have been in top form and had come to this match having won seven points out of nine against the three Limpopo teams.

City looked to steal the points and were unlucky not to regain the lead in the 50th minute when Martin came within inches of pushing in Terence Mashego’s cross.

Sensing a third successive league defeat against the Cape side, Arrows upped their tempo with Ntsako Makhubela, Ndwandwe and Parusnath instrumental in trying to get their 10th victory in 20 matches.

The sides settled for a draw that keeps Arrows second, three points behind Sundowns who have three matches in hand.

City remain in eighth spot with 26 points from 20 matches that include the last seven in which they have failed to register a victory after that win against the team they faced yesterday.