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It was an action packed opening 45 minutes which saw three goals and plenty of goal mouth excitement.
Aces, playing at home, settled the quicker of the two teams and were on the attack from the first whistle.
The home side nearly found the opening goal as early as the sixth minute when Lindokuhle Mbatha latched onto a long ball and pulled the best out of the Stars keeper with a powerful 12-yard shot. Siyabonga Mpontshane produced fine save diving full stretch to his left to deny the midfielder.
Aces, however, didn’t have to wait much longer as they did open the scoring five minutes later. Mpho Maleka rose highest to head home a long throw-in from Marco Da Silva. The keeper could do nothing as Maleka’s header found the bottom left corner, 1-0.
Thereafter, Stars started asserting themselves in the game and drew level in the 25th minute in a similar fashion to which they went behind. A long throw-in into the box was flicked on by Lithola Mofokeng onto the head of Thuso Phala who was also clinical with his header and equalising for his side, 1-1.
Both sides continued to press forward in search of another goal in an exciting brand of football and either could have went in front, but it was Aces who regained the lead three minutes before the break.
Maleka grabbed his second goal of the game after a piece of individual brilliance saw him make his way past two defenders and left himself with just the keeper to beat. He made no mistake coolly slotting it past the stranded Mpontshane, 2-1.
Stars nearly drew level again in the final minute of the half when Dillon Sheppard tested the goal keeping abilities of Francis Chansa. Sheppard curled a free-kick around the defensive wall and towards the top corner, but Chansa was up to the challenge punching the ball over the bar.
Stars did, however, manage to find their second equaliser six minutes into the second half.
A cross from the left flank was flicked on by Herico Botes to his teammate, Sibusiso Msomi, who did well to control the ball before firing past Chansa to level the scores once again, 2-2.
Maleka should have grabbed his hattrick and his side’s third goal in the 74th minute when a mistake at the back allowed him through on goal and with just the keeper to beat. His shot, however, struck the woodwork to the relief of the keeper.
In the end the game went from goal mouth to goal mouth in an exciting final ten minutes. Coetzee, however, was the hero on the day for Stars as he fired them in front in the 94th minute of the match, 3-2.
Some good interchanges saw Coetzee with a chance on goal and he made no mistake toe-poking the ball under the keeper to give Stars the perfect start to the 2010/11 league season.
MP Black Aces (2) 2 (Maleka 11’+ 42’)
Platinum Stars (1) 3 (Phala 25’, Msomi 51’, Coetzee 94’)
Teams
Aces: Chansa, Twala (Zuke 56’), Da Silva (Lekothoane 92’), Dabi, Musasa, Biyela, Mbatha, Rantjie, Masondo (Nkhosi 86’), Maleka, Ramulondi.
Stars: Mpontshane, Mabizela, Seneo (Maysena 46’), Mofokeng, Sheppard (Nyanda 58’), Mkalipa, Tshabalala, Msomi, Senamela (Coetzee 79’), Botes.
