SuperSport United have claimed their first win of the new DStv Premiership season after they edged Richards Bay 1-0 at the King Zwelithini Stadium on Wednesday evening.
A penalty early in the second half from Bradley Grobler allowed Matsatsantsa to pick up a victory at the fifth time of asking in 2022-23, while the newly-promoted Natal Rich Boyz slumped to a second straight defeat.
The result sees SuperSport move up to 14th place on the log on five points, while Bay drop to sixth spot on seven points.
SuperSport opened the game with a better attacking rhythm and should have claimed the lead in the fourth minute when Bradley Grobler was presented with a shooting chance, but the striker put his effort wide of the target.
Bay gradually worked their way into the game and began asserting some attacking pressure from the quarter-hour mark onward, with the likes of Katleho Makateng, Somila Ntsundwana and Luvoyo Memela seeing plenty of the ball.
United held up well under the pressure, with defenders Thulani Hlatshwayo and Thatayaone Ditlhokwe coming to the fore, though midfielder Jesse Donn soon found himself in the book for a mistimed challenge.
The Natal Rich Boyz upped the intensity as the interval approached, with United goalkeeper George Chigova called on to make a fine save to keep out a shot from Makateng on 38 minutes, but the half ended with the teams still locked at 0-0.
Matsatsantsa again started the new half brightly and were rewarded with a spot-kick shortly after the kickoff. Grobler took on the penalty and beat goalkeeper Salim Magoola to put the visitors 1-0 up in the 50th minute.
Richards Bay looked for a response, but the United defence held firm and the visitors were able to create further chances on the counterattack, most notably for substitute Selaelo Rasebotja in the 69th minute, but the attacker directed his diving header wide of the mark.
That was the last major chance at either end, though Bay did build some significant pressure in their search for an equaliser – only to find the Matsatsantsa defence a resilient and determined outfit, which underpinned their first three-pointer of the season.
SuperSport will be in MTN8 action this coming weekend when they face Mamelodi Sundowns in a quarterfinal clash on Sunday 28 August, while Bay’s next match is a DStv Premiership fixture away to Stellenbosch FC on Saturday 3 September.
Richards Bay 0
SuperSport United (0) 1 (Grobler 50’ pen)
Bay: Magoola, Nyauza, Mthethwa, Mabua, Maphathe, Mathebula (Zungu 71’), Mabaso, Barns, Makateng (Mbuthuma 71’), Memela (Mthembu 77’), Ntsundwana (Msane 77’)
SuperSport: Chigova, Fleurs, Hlatshwayo, Ditlhokwe, Sibanyoni (Maziko 55’), Margeman, Donn, Bhasera, Lungu (Nhlapo 82’), Ngoma (Rasebotja 68’), Grobler (Gabuza 82’)