GOALLESS THRILLER
MANY CHANCES: COMBINATION OF GOOD GOALKEEPING, BAD FINISHING
Strikers will feel unlucky not to have been rewarded.
It was not for a lack of effort that Highlands Park and Kaizer Chiefs played to a goalless draw in an Absa Premiership match at Makhulong Stadium in Tembisa last night – it was because of a combination of good goalkeeping and bad finishing that prevented the goals.
Both sets of defenders must have felt relieved when the final whistle sounded as they had a very busy night trying keep the attackers who worked tirelessly and will feel unlucky not to have been rewarded.
For the home side, Lindokuhle Mbatha, Peter Shalulile, Moeketsi Sekola and Thabo Motlafi kept Itumeleng Khune and his defence busy the whole 90 minutes.
But Tapuwa Kapini and his defensive line also didn’t have any time to rest with Khama Billiat, Siphelele Ntshangase, Dumisani Zuma and Gustavo Paez running at them.
The chances were plenty but the full capacity crowd will feel robbed that they didn’t witness any goals.
In one of the chances and in a swift move turning defence to attack Amakhosi were in Highlands’ half and Zuma took a good low shot but Kapini was up to the task using his stretched legs to push the ball away from danger.
Highlands had their best chance in the 29th when Mbatha floated a good ball into the area but Lesenya Ramoraka shot over when the ball fell kindly for him.
The second half was played at the same pace but it is Pule Ekstein who will feel he let his side down when he was set through on goal by Siphelele Ntshangase’s back heel pass but he hurried his shot and the ball went wide, with Kapini standing no chance of getting to it.
An option would have been for Ekstein to just round up Kapini and push the ball into an empty net.
Ekstein got another chance to redeem himself when Billiat set him through on goal with just a minute left on the clock but he again shot wide.
Lions of the North thought they had got the winner when Peter Shalulile beat Khune with a header but he was ruled to have been in an offside position.
Meanwhile, new MTN8 champions Cape Town City did not have a happy return to their home ground at the Cape Town Stadium as a unforgiving Bidvest Wits beat them 2-0, with Simon Murray scoring both goals for the visitors.
Results: AmaZulu 0 Maritzburg United 0; Polokwane City 1 SuperSport United 1; Cape Town City 0 Bidvest Wits 2; Highlands Park 0 Kaizer Chiefs 0.