SuperSport continue to struggle after loss to Arrows

by Brian Lee

Sunday Jan 14, 2018. 18:06

SuperSport United have extended their winless run to eight matches after losing 1-0 to Golden Arrows in an Absa Premiership match at the Princess Magogo Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

The loss is SuperSport’s second in a row in the league and sees them dwindling in the wrong half of the table where they occupy 12th spot with 17 points, only two points above the relegation zone.

The result for Arrows sees them bounce back from a loss to Celtic last weekend as they moved up to tenth place on the table with 21 points.

The home side started positively with Knox Mutizwa breaking though on goal as early as the seventh minute, but he was denied in a one-on-one with SuperSport goalkeeper Reyaad Pieterse.

The next decent effort on goal only came in the 27th minute when Thuso Phala fired a long range effort inches wide of the Arrows goal.

Just after the half hour mark a mistake by Pieterse saw Kudakwashe Mahachi block his attempted clearance, but luckily for the SuperSport shot-stopper the ball trickled out of play and not into the back of his net.

In the 38th minute United came close to breaking the deadlock when Teboho Mokoena created some space for himself on the edge of the box, but he saw his stinging shot well saved by Arrows keeper Nkosingiphile Gumede.

Arrows came out strong in the second half with a shot on goal four minutes after the break, but Siphelele Magubane saw his strike from the edge of the box brilliantly saved by Pieterse.

SuperSport should really have taken the lead in the 64th minute when Phala’s low left-wing cross found Thabo Mnyamane unmarked inside the box, but he fired wide from close range.

Arrows did find the back of the net ten minutes from time after an initial shot from Danny Venter was saved by Pieterse, but the rebound fell to Mahachi who tapped home from close range to win the match, 1-0.

United tried to find their way back into the game as they pushed players forward in the dying minutes of the game, but they were unable to break down a stubborn Arrows defence.

Golden Arrows (0) 1 (Mahachi 80’)
SuperSport United (0) 0

Teams

Arrows: Gumede, Mzava, Mngwenge, Buthelezi (Mathiane 80’), Nkombelo, Bilankulu, Zuke (Shongwe 70’), Mahachi, Venter, Magubane (Ndwandwe 64’), Mutizwa.

SuperSport: Pieterse, Nhlapo, Gould, Daniels, Boateng, Furman, Mokoena (Letsholonyane 59’), Phala, Modiba, Mnyamane (Egwekwe 86’), Nkhatha (Smith 72’).