Pretoria – Senegalese defender Mor Diouf scored a late equaliser to hand SuperSport United their 10th draw of the season in a 2-2 stalemate with Golden Arrows in the Premiership clash in Atteridgeville on Sunday afternoon.
United were left languishing in the bottom half of the Premiership standings after failing once again to claim maximum points, having secured only 13 points in 12 league encounters this season.
The visitors took the game to United, who lacked intensity throughout the opening minutes, and were rewarded with the opener 22 minutes into the fixture.
Sibusiso Hadebe took full advantage of a defensive lapse inside the United area and headed home past goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, who was left with no chance as the ball took a deflection on its way to the net.
Arrows continued to push for the second, but the hosts responded with the equaliser 10 minutes from the interval, when Franklin Cale netted at the back post, after Mabhuti Khenyeza's shot was blocked but popped up for Cale, who made no mistake, leveling the match shortly before the break.
George Maluleka came within inches of taking the lead for Matsatsantsa in the second minute of addition time, when he unleashed a shot from outside the Arrows area, but narrowly missed over the top of the crossbar.
Having given up their lead, Arrows came out hard in the second half and had their first chance within the first minute, when Nkanyiso Mlotshwa saw his shot blocked off the goal-line by Williams.
Williams was in action shortly after, when he made a solid save from a Norman Smith shot, after the Arrows man was put through on goal and had only Williams to beat, but the shot-stopper kept his side in the tie with the save from close-range.
At the other end, George Maluleka forced a diving save out of Arrows keeper Pavels Steinbors, who did well to reach the thunderbolt and parried the ball away and out of danger.
Smith proved too good for the hosts, as he regained the lead for the coastal outfit after he was put through on goal, broke free from his marker and beat Williams, who advanced out of his area and was helpless as Smith nudged the ball past the goalkeeper, who could only watch as the ball trickled over the line.
Diouf saved blushes, when he picked up a loose ball inside the Arrows area, after a failed clearance allowed the burly defender to get a shot away at goal, beating Steinbors at his near post to level the match for a second time in the afternoon.
Smith was in with an opportunity to double his tally for the afternoon, but could not beat Williams in the last minute of regulation time, after the goalscorer shot straight at the young goalkeeper. – Sapa