NELSPRUIT – SuperSport United made it four wins from six league games this season with a 1-0 victory over struggling Ajax Cape Town at the Mbombela Stadium on Wednesday night.
Following last weekend’s Caf Confederation Cup final defeat to TP Mazembe, it was a good response from the Tshwane side, who are now only six points behind log leaders Baroka FC with six matches in hand.
Ajax, meanwhile, remain above the drop zone on goal difference only.
It was one-way traffic from Eric Tinkler’s men in the first half, and they could well have taken more than a 1-0 lead into the break.
After early chances for Aubrey Modiba and Azubuike Egwuekwe, Modiba gave Matsatsantsa a 25th-minute lead when he stole into the box to apply a perfect glancing header to Richard Boateng’s pinpoint cross from the left.
Ajax keeper Jody February was called into action four minutes later to save a Fagrie Lakay pile-driver.
There was little let-up from the hosts as Thuso Phala went close with a 36th-minute shot from just inside the box, before February made a superb save to keep out Bradley Grobler’s sweetly-struck effort three minutes before the interval.
The Urban Warriors came out for the second half looking like a new team as they suddenly found their feet in attack.
And after a Grant Margeman cross had narrowly eluded Mosa Lebusa and Bantu Mzwakali five yards out from goal, SuperSport keeper Reyaad Pieterse was called into action three times in quick succession, including a brilliant diving save from Tashreeq Morris’ thunderbolt from 25 yards out which was heading into the top corner.
However, Matsatsantsa were able to regroup and take the sting out of the Ajax attack by slowing proceedings down for the final 25 minutes.
And they were able to make it through to fulltime with no further threats on their goal as the Cape side’s challenge faded nearly as quickly as it had first arisen after the interval.