Ajax ease past Polokwane

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA - FEBRUARY 28: Rivaldo Coetzee of Ajax Cape Town during the Absa Premiership match between Ajax Cape Town and Polokwane City at Athlone Stadium on February 28, 2014 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Luigi Bennett/Gallo Images)

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA - FEBRUARY 28: Rivaldo Coetzee of Ajax Cape Town during the Absa Premiership match between Ajax Cape Town and Polokwane City at Athlone Stadium on February 28, 2014 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Luigi Bennett/Gallo Images)

Published Mar 1, 2014

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Cape Town – Ajax Cape Town cruised to a 2-0 win over Polokwane City in a Premiership match at Athlone Stadium on Friday night.

Keegan Dolly opened the scoring after just six minutes when he fired home from the edge of the box after playing a neat one-two with Nathan Paulse.

And it was Paulse who was to extend the Urban Warriors' lead, just 10 minutes into the second period, when he picked up a Dolly pass out wide on the left before cutting inside his man and burying the ball in the back of the net.

The result sees Roger de Sa's side jump from 11th to eighth place in the standings, on 26 points from 20 matches while City dropped to 14th place with 19 points.

The hosts got off to a flyer when Dolly latched onto his side's first real chance of the tie, and it was pretty much all Ajax for the remainder of the half.

Stelio Ernesto came close to adding a second after 13 minutes when he fired over from close range, having latched onto a Dolly cross from the left.

City did force Anssi Jaakkola into one save with 16 minutes on the clock when Galabgwe Moyana fizzed in a ball from a tight ankle, but the Ajax stopper was well positioned to punch the effort clear.

Paulse should have done better on the half hour mark when he smashed an effort over the bar before failing to get any real power on a Dolly free-kick with the half winding down.

Both sides came out firing after the break but it was Ajax who were the more clinical, with Paulse adding a second for his side with a sublime finish.

Ernesto could only find the arms of Polokwane stopper Modiri Marumo with his strike from a central position on 58 minutes while the ever industrious Abbubaker Mobara had a goal-bound shot deflected off target just moments later.

Both sides rang the changes and it was Sifiso Mbhele whose impact was most keenly felt as he forced Jaakkola into an excellent reaction save as he tipped the ball over the target with 77 minutes on the clock.

And while there were a number of half chances for both sides, in the end it was Ajax who saw out this tie quite comfortably in front of a boisterous home support. – Sapa

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