Polokwane City climbed into the top half of the DStv Premiership table after they claimed a deserved 1-0 victory over Royal AM at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday evening.
Former Orlando Pirates striker Ndumiso Mabena scored his first goal for his new club on the stroke of halftime, which proved to be the difference on the day, although Lehlohonolo Seema's side struck the woodwork three times and could have come away with more than just the one goal.
A third win in seven games for newly-promoted Rise And Shine took them up to seventh position in the standings, two points ahead of Thwihli Thwahla, who have now lost two on the spin in the DStv Premiership.
Both teams were winless in their last two games, with Polokwane holding AmaZulu to a 0-0 draw on Monday, while Royal AM suffered a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Sekhukhune United last time out.
There were plenty of chances in the first half and the hosts threatened to break the deadlock after just six minutes when Oswin Appollis drew a fine save out of Zakahle Ngcobo with a strike from inside the box.
Thwihli Thwahla had their first sniff at goal six minutes later as Mxolisi Macuphu lashed a shot over the crossbar after being picked out by Sabelo Sithole inside the area before Ngcobo was called into action again to prevent Mokibelo Ramabu's effort from sneaking in at his near post on 21 minutes.
The visitors carved out two opportunities in quick succession when Macuphu dragged a shot wide of the far post from a tight angle on the right in the 24th minute and Thabo Matlaba saw his attempt fly narrowly to the left of the goal from range soon afterward.
Douglas Mapfumo presented Appollis with a glorious chance to open the scoring from a cross in the 26th minute, but the midfielder only succeeded in missing the target from close range.
Mapfumo was unfortunate not to register his third goal of the season when his close-range header came back off the bar in first-half stoppage time, although Mabena was on hand to nod the ball home on the rebound to give Rise And Shine the lead at the break.
Mokibelo Ramabu was a whisker away from doubling their advantage eight minutes into the second half when he struck the left post from inside the area, while the KZN outfit nearly restored parity two minutes later as Manuel Sapunga pulled off a good save to deny Shaune Mogaila from close range.
Shadrack Kobedi then wasted the chance to equalise from a free-kick in the 61st minute as he planted his header wide from inside the six-yard box and Mapfumo almost made Royal AM pay seven minutes later from a corner that he headed inches wide of the right post.
Within a minute, Bulelani Nikani had rattled the crossbar with a strike from inside the area which saw Polokwane denied by the frame of the goal for the third time in the match.
Time was running out for Thwihli Thwahla and Sedwyn George failed to test Sapunga with a header that he steered wide of the right post from an 80th-minute free-kick in what proved to be their final opportunity to get something from the game.
Polokwane City (1) 1 (Mabena 45+1')
Royal AM (0) 0
Polokwane City: M. Sapunga, T. Matuludi, B. Nikani, L. Nkaki, L. Ndlovu, M. Ramabu (A. Fikizolo 57'), G. Mashikinya (M. Kambala 78'), N. Maphangule, O. Appollis, N. Mabena (T. Ngwepe 65'), D. Mapfumo (H. Chauke 78').
Royal AM: Z. Ngcobo, A. Jiyane, S. Kobedi, T. Matlaba, S. Mogaila (S. George 71'), J. Dlamini (M. Thikazi 71'), K. Mahlasela (B. Dlamini 86'), S. Sithole (J. Ncobeni 51'), A. Maxwele, S. Cele (S. Magaqa 51'), M. Macuphu.