DURBAN – Lamontville Golden Arrows wasted a chance of moving to the top of the Absa Premiership log after conceding a late equaliser in a 2-2 draw with Cape Town City at the Princess Magogo Stadium in KwaMashu on Saturday night.
Benni McCarthy’s City missed a number of chances, particularly in the first half, that resulted in the Capetonians extending their winless run to two matches after they drew 1-1 with Baroka FC on Tuesday, while Arrows haven’t tasted success in their last seven games.
But they will be thankful for defender Thabo Nodada’s 89th-minute equaliser that gave them a point to take home from KZN.
As early as the fourth minute, the visitors had an opportunity to open the scoring when Bafana international Ayanda Patosi was in space after good work on the left by Mpho Matsi.
But Patosi’s shot went over the top, and it was a sign of things to come.
Letsie Koapeng was the next culprit for City as he wasted arguably the best chance of the night. Patosi produced a wonderful ball across goal, but Koapeng somehow failed to find the target from point-blank range in the 30th minute.
While Arrows probed regularly, it was the Cape outfit that had the clearer openings, with Lyle Lakay also sending a free kick just wide in the 37th minute.
But it was the home side who grabbed the opener. Andile Fikizolo delivered a classy long pass to Siphelele Magubane, who floated a left-footed shot past a flat-footed Sage Stephens to put Arrows 1-0 up in the 39th minute.
City nearly levelled the scores before the break, but Ebrahim Seedat blasted his effort well over the top.
McCarthy encouraged his team forward in the second half, but it was Arrows who netted again in the 69th minute.
City failed to clear a corner out of danger, and Jabulani Shongwe expertly kicked the ball into the ground and beat goalkeeper Stephens to put Abafana Bes’thende 2-0 up.
Stephens, though, made what turned out to be a crucial save a few minutes later when he dived to his right to keep out Knox Mutizwa’s free kick.
But then the City comeback started. Bafana Bafana right back Thamsanqa Mkhize was hacked down in the box by Limbikani Mzava, and Patosi drilled the penalty into the back of the net to make it 2-1.
And with just a minute of regulation time left, Arrows were guilty of not dealing decisively with a cross, and the ball fell into the path of Nodada, whose shot took a deflection for the equaliser.