Sekhukhune impressively hold Sundowns to one-all draw
UNFANCIED Sekhukhune United produced a stirring defensive performance to hold reigning Dstv Premiership champions Mamelodi Sundowns to a one-all draw at Peter Mokaba Stadium yesterday.
No one in the crowd at the Peter Mokaba Stadium would have anticipated that hosts Sekhukhune would share the spoils with Sundowns, who held a 1-0 half-time lead. It was the first time Sekhukhune had scored a goal against Sundowns in the Premiership after three matches.
Midfielder Linda Mntambo, the former Pirates player who joined Sekhukhune earlier this season, scored the only goal of the second half and it turned out to be the equaliser in an entertaining clash. Mntambo was named Man of the Match afterwards.
Sundowns enjoyed an overwhelming possession advantage in the first half and just as it seemed they were heading for the sheds empty-handed at half-time, their ace goal poacher Peter Shalulile came to their rescue a minute before referee Masixole Bambiso sounded the half-time whistle.
Up to that stage, Shalulile had been trapped offside three times and it seemed Sekhukhune had worked out how to eliminate Sundowns’ danger man. However, Themba Zwane and Gaston Sirino, Shalulile’s partners in the three-prong attack undid the Sekhukhune defence in front of goal. There was, however, a hint of offside when Shalulile scrambled Sirino’s low goalmouth cross for the first half’s lone goal.
Sekhukhune were off to an impressive start when fullback Sello Motsepe broke clear and fed the unmarked Victor Letsoalo, who fired a left-footed drive wide of the target.
The early let-off made Sundowns sense the danger and gradually they started to impose themselves on the game with a succession of attacks from the left channels.
There was precious little Sekhukhune could do once Sundowns took a vice-like grip on the match, and the pressure finally counted on the Sekhukhune defence on the stroke of halftime, when Sundowns’ class came to the fore and Shalulile provided the finishing touch for his third goal of the season.
When the match restarted for second-half play, Sekhukhune took the match by the scruff of the neck and scored the equaliser 28 seconds later. It sent the home side’s fans at the Peter Mokaba Stadium wild with excitement and for a while Sundowns’ players seemed stunned by the setback.
The Sekhukhune midfield brought off an intercept moments after the restart and in a flash, Linda Mntambo was sent clear on the right and his parting shot flew past Sundowns goalkeeper Ronwen Williams.