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Cape Town - Santos left it late against Vasco da Gama at the Athlone Stadium on Wednesday night, with the only goal of a tight game coming in the 92nd minute.
The first half was derby football at its best, or rather worst, as local pride ensured neither team gave an inch, with the result that goal-mouth action was a rarity.
Santos had more of the attacking play, getting in several crosses through Tony Tsabedze, but the Vasco defence held firm, also doing well to keep the lively Erwin Isaacs at bay.
The people's team managed a couple of chances from range, but neither Zairon van Beulen nor Shafeeq Arendse could beat Postnett Omony.
The best chance of the half fell to Vasco's Jonathan Armogam, but having been released by Cole Alexander, he watched as his 40th minute lob hit the upright, with Tshepo Motsonoeng in no-man's land.
Vasco started brightly after the restart, but were reduced to 10 men when Zeka Karkee clashed with Jurie Basie after 55 minutes.
This saw Santos slowly, but surely provide more threat in attack, although it was only in the final 15 minutes that the Vasco goal was really threatened.
Omony showed excellent form to get down quickly to an Erwin Isaacs pile-driver, then reacted smartly to foil Salmaan King.
Otieno cancelled out Armogam's near miss in the first half when the veteran also hit the bar, with an 88th minute header.
The people's team, however, were unrelenting as the game reached the dying stages and the breakthrough finally came a minute before the final whistle.
Some neat interplay around the Vasco box culminated in King racing clear before beating Omony with a well-paced low drive to give Santos a 1-0 victory.
