Urban Warriors suffer defeat in Rustenburg

by Bertin Basson

Wednesday Nov 01, 2017. 22:00

Platinum Stars condemned Ajax Cape Town to a 1-0 defeat in an Absa Premiership clash at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium on Wednesday evening.

Vuyo Mere with the only goal of the game on an unlucky outing for the visitors, who troubled the woodwork on two occasions throughout the 90 minutes.

Victory, a first of the season for Dikwena, moves the North West club within a point of the Urban Warriors on the log standings.

There was nothing to split the two side's in the opening half-hour, with the early exchanges marred by silly errors with both teams lacking any sort of fluency on what was a perfect night for football.

Neo Makua, back in the Urban Warriors starting 11, tried to breath some life into the visitors attack and when he was followed by Lehlogonolo Masalesa the away side had an opportunity to finally register a shot on target.

Thabo Mosadi sending his resulting effort straight at Dino Visser in the 37th minute.

The Urban Warriors would go within inches of opening the scoring moments later, as Roscoe Pietersen guided his header attempt onto the woodwork from a corner-kick.

Lucky escape for Dikwena on the cusp of half-time, with the two teams deadlocked at 0-0 at the interval.

Mere opened the scoring for the hosts in the 51st minute from a free-kick, with Jody February unable to keep out the Stars' captain's curling effort.

The hosts should've doubled their lead soon after, but Brian Mwila failed to convert with the goal at his mercy on the hour mark.

He was almost made to rue the miss as Ajax Cape Town launched wave-after-wave of attack in the closing stages.

Second-half substitutes Sedwyn George and Prince Nxumalo going close for the visitors, with the latter desperately unfortunate to see his header attempt canon off the post in added time.

In the end, though, it was not to be for the Urban Warriors as Stanley Menzo's troops make their way back down to the Mother City in 14th place on the log standings.

Platinum Stars (0) 1 (Mere 51')

Ajax Cape Town (0) 0

Platinum Stars: Visser; Mnguni, Mwedihanga, Zulu, Sithole - Mere, Masalesa (De Jongh 88'), Ng'ambi - Monama (Mwila 46'), Otladisa, Ntuli (Mkhabela 67')

Ajax Cape Town: February; Sasman, Nhlapo, Booysen, Evans - Pietersen, Mdabuka (Nxumalo 79'), Mzwakali (Margeman 69') - Makua (George 46'), Mosadi, Morris