POLOKWANE – Polokwane City’s top-flight survival remains in the balance after they played to a 1-1 league draw with Cape Town City at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium on Wednesday night.
The result means that with only two matches to play this season, the Limpopo club are just one point above the team in second-last position on the standings, Ajax Cape Town.
Neither side were able to find much spark upfront in the opening stages in Polokwane, and the only attempt on goal saw Citizens defender Edmilson shooting wide from outside the box in the 15th minute.
The Cape outfit began to take control of proceedings as the game moved past the half hour mark and looked set to take the lead when Masud Juma played in Roland Putsche, but the Austrian was denied by an excellent save from home keeper Harold Ndlovu.
Rise and Shine also had a couple of chances through Thando Booi.
And they went on to draw first blood, two minutes before the interval when Jabulani Maluleke’s free kick had smashed into the crossbar, the ball looping up high before Thapelo Tshilo showed his strength to out-muscle a couple of opponents on the goal-line and head the ball into an empty net.
The Cape team came out after the break looking for an equaliser and had the hosts on the back-foot, but Ndlovu was in inspired form as he made a series of saves to keep the lead intact.
The visitors continued to push for an equaliser and had a penalty appeal turned down after Nana Akosah-Bempah had gone down in the opposition box.
The breakthrough final came in the 77th minute when after a well-worked free kick from Ayanda Patosi, Thamsanqa Mkhize found the back of the net.
The Cape side pushed for a winner in the closing stages of the match, Kwanda Mngonyama going especially close before Surprise Ralani was denied once more by Ndlovu as the game ended all square in the Limpopo province.