SuperSport United maintained their grip on second place in the DStv Premiership after they beat Golden Arrows 2-1 at the Lucas Masterpieces Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville on Sunday evening.
Zakhele Lepasa scored his first goals for the club in each half to secure back-to-back wins in the league as Gavin Hunt's side maintained the five-point gap to Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs.
Abafana Bes'thende lost for the fourth time in six matches to remain four points clear of the relegation zone in 12th position.
SuperSport were looking to avoid another slip-up against Arrows after suffering a 2-1 defeat in the reverse fixture on 7 January, while the KZN outfit hoped to build on their impressive 3-2 victory over Kaizer Chiefs last time out.
The hosts made a bright start and Patrick Maswanganyi could only hit the side-netting from a tight angle on the left in the second minute before Siphesihle Ndlovu dragged a shot well wide of the right post from range on five minutes.
Grant Margeman then tried his luck from distance on 20 minutes but failed to keep his effort down and Thamsanqa Gabuza steered a header wide of the left post from Lepasa's 24th-minute cross.
The Tshwane giants finally managed to hit the target on the hour mark, resulting in the opener as Lepasa tucked home Thapelo Maseko's low cross to register his first goal of the season.
Maseko ?? Lepasa
— SuperSport Football ?? (@SSFootball) March 5, 2023
Lepasa gets his first SuperSport United goal ??#DStvPrem pic.twitter.com/Qwd4Q04cSA
LEPASA CRACKER
SuperSport continued to pile on the pressure, with Thulani Hlatshwayo directing two headers off target in the space of two minutes before Maseko blasted high and wide of the mark from range on 40 minutes.
The visitors failed to create a single chance in the opening 45 minutes and they remained under the cosh in the second half as Gabuza tested Siyabonga Mbatha from an acute angle on the right in the 47th minute.
Arrows finally had a sniff at goal moments later when Ntsako Makhubela fired wide of the right post from inside the box on the left but they fell further behind on 53 minutes courtesy of a cracker from Lepasa which flew into the top left corner of the net.
Kegan Johannes threatened to further extend Matsatsantsa's lead on 64 minutes with a strike from the right side of the box that was well saved by Mbatha and Goss was called into action for the first time three minutes later to keep out Knox Mutizwa's strike from range.
However, the KZN outfit were presented with an opportunity to get back into the contest on 74 minutes when Johannes brought down Divine Lunga inside the area. Mutizwa stepped up to dispatch the penalty past Goss for his fourth goal in three games.
Bongumusa Nkosi almost restored parity soon afterwards with a strike on the left that flashed wide of the right post, while Gamphani Lungu and Aubrey Ngoma missed chances to kill the game off in the closing stages when they both failed to hit the target after being released through on goal by Siyabonga Nhlapo and Margeman respectively.
SuperSport United (1) 2 (Lepasa 30', 53')
Golden Arrows (0) 1 (Mutizwa 76' PEN)
SuperSport United:R. Goss, K. Johannes, T. Hlatshwayo, T. Ditlhokwe, N. Rapoo, T. Maseko (G. Lungu 62'), G. Margeman, S. Ndlovu, P. Maswanganyi (S. Nhlapo 78'), T. Gabuza (T. Sibanyoni 78'), Z. Lepasa (A. Ngoma 69).
Golden Arrows:S. Mbatha, S. Hlatshwayo, S. Ndlovu, T. Mantshiyane (N. Nxadi 56'), D. Lunga, V. Ndwandwe, N. Sibiya (T. Magubane 60'), S. Khumalo (B. Nkosi 60'), N. Makhubela, P. Mmodi, K. Mutizwa.