Spurs gain promotion while Maritzburg face the drop

by Staff Reporter

Wednesday Jun 14, 2023. 21:45

In the final round of the PSL Promotion play-offs, Cape Town Spurs and Maritzburg United played to a 0-0 stalemate at the Harry Gwala Stadium on Wednesday night. As a result, the Urban Warriors gained PSL status, while the Team of Choice dropped to South Africa’s first division.

Going into the game, Spurs required just one point against the team of Choice to ensure top flight status for next season. As a whole, the Urban Warriors capped off an impressive promotion bid with three wins and one draw in four encounters. In turn, Maritzburg United were relegated to the Motsepe Foundation Championship.

The game got off to a frantic start, as a scrap for the ball broke out in the middle of the park. With Maritzburg and Spurs feeling each other out, crunching tackles and quick pressing from both teams set the early pace of the tie.

With the dust beginning to settle, the Team of Choice and Urban Warriors looked to build play from defensive positions, with the Mother City outfit seeing slightly more of the ball during the first 15 minutes of the counter.

While there were no clear attempts at goal midway through the first-half, the game proved to be a prickly affair with the referee often called upon to diffuse heated situations.

The Team of Choice began seeing more of the ball after the half-hour mark and often took the direct route in looking to breach the Spurs backline. Not sitting back, Spurs hurried the opposition in turnover situations and pressed high up the pitch.

Nevertheless, Maritzburg and Spurs went into the break with the scores deadlocked at 0-0.

Both Maritzburg and Spurs maintained their spiky approach to the game at the begining of the second-half and did not hold back from making their presence felt in tackles.

The Urban Warriors endured an early stint of pressure in the subsequent half as the Team of Choice troubled the travelling side’s defence with teasing balls into the penalty area. Maritzburg gained control of the encounter after the hour mark and penned Spurs back onto the edge of their 18-yard-area.

Under the cosh for the majority of the second 45, it took doggish defending from the Spurs to remain in the game as the clock reached the 75th minute.

Maritzburg piled on the pressure without 10 minutes left on the clock and produced several goal scoring opportunities in the process. However, Spurs sat tight and continued to soak up the home team’s pressure.

However it was not to be for the home side, as Spurs managed to withstand Maritzburg’s mounting pressure to recorded a 0-0 stalemate at the Harry Gwala Stadium.

Maritzburg United: (0) 0

Cape Town Spurs: (0) 0

Maritzburg United: Leaner, Cross, Makume, De Goede (Meza 65’) , Njoti (Tlolane 45’), Human (van der Ross 90’), Palace, Kimvuidi, Theron, Soukouna, Peprah

Cape Town Spurs: Vyver, Dortley, Daniels, Brown, Allie, Morton (Phewa 65’), Nel, Stander, Moroole (Ngobe 85’), Butsaka (Velebayi 65’), Moosa (Ryan 76’)