Sekhukhune United racked up a gritty 2-1 win over Marumo Gallants in a Betway Premiership match at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday night.
Amid facing a barrage of attacks from the away side, the game was tied at 1-1 deep into added time before Bethuel Muzeu made his mark off the bench with a classy header to give his side maximum points on home soil.
Sekhukhune settled well onto the ball during the opening exchanges of the first-half while Gallants sat back and soaked up the pressure in the first 10 minutes. While Sekhukhune eased their way into the game, Gallants provided little threat going forward.
Oageng Phiri and Chibuike Ohizu looked menacing in attack for Sekhukhune, with the latter often stretching play with his back towards goal. Phiri on the other hand, often ran at the Gallants backline as Sekhukhune dominated play during the first quarter.
As Gallants looked blunt going forward, Sekhukhune grabbed the opening goal in the 29th minute with Phiri breaching the opposing backline once more. Following a swift transition in the middle of the park, largely through clever dribbling by Ellis Rammala, Phiri latched onto a well-weighted through ball before advancing beyond the goalkeeper to finish into an open net.
While Sekhukhune were the more assertive side in the first-half, Gallants came out swinging in the second stanza with the possession statistic in their favour.
Gallants often put Sekhukhune on the back foot through their transition and counter-attacks but failed to hit the target on numerous occasions, as seen with attempts by Saketso Moremi and Ndabayithethwa Ndlondlo.
Ohizu came agonisingly close to doubling Sekhukhune’s lead in the 64th minute after he gathered a through ball, skipped past the goalkeeper, and produced a shot from an acute angle that hit the woodwork.
Gallants’ pressure paid off in the 77th minute, equalising following a sequence of errors from the Sekhukhune defence. After attacking down the right flank, Sibusiso Ncube whipped in a cross that took a massive deflection toward goal while the goalkeeper was left wrong footed at the same time.
However, Sekhukhune had the last laugh as Muzeu came on as an inspired substitute to win the game in stoppage time. In what was an attacking move against the run of play, D'Angelo Kazeem picked out Muzeu with a cross from the left flank, and Muzeu finished with a diving header.
The loss leaves Gallants sitting in 16th on the table without a win from their first eight matches of the campaign, while Sekhukhune ended matchday eight in sixth position, level on 14 points with fifth-placed Kaizer Chiefs.
Sekhukhune United: (1) 2 (Phiri 29, Muzeu 92’)
Marumo Gallants: (0) 1 (Buthelezi 78’ OG)
SEKHUKHUNE UNITED: Buthelezi, Mcaba (Kazeem 87’), Gibani, Matsimbi, Mobbie, Mkhize, Khupe, Phiri (Makgalaka 59’), Rammala (Sangweni 59’), Mokoane (Makubo 78’), Ohizu (Muzeu 78’)
MARUMO GALLANTS: Lako, Manku, Rikhotso, Motsoeneng, Nitya-Ntiya, Pheeha (Mbhele 89’), Ncube (Moletshe 89’), Ndlondlo, Seketso (Otladisa 68’), Ndlovu, Sihlali (Etemesi 74’)