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Cape Town - Platinum Stars produced their best performance of the season to hand Cape Town City a 4-0 defeat in an Absa Premiership match at Athlone Stadium on Tuesday.
Dikwena had lost their last four league matches in succession, while the Citizens were on cloud nine after claiming top spot on the log and winning their piece of major silverware - the Telkom Knockout - this past weekend.
Stars made a flying start to the match and established a two-goal lead inside the opening 10 minutes. The first arrived with less than five minutes on the clock when a free kick was delivered from the left flank and allowed defender Isaac Nhlapo to score with a diving header.
In the 10th minute Dikwena doubled their advantage with a very similar goal. This time Ndumiso Mabena provided a low cross from open play and Tintswalo Tshabalala arrived late in the danger area to score with another diving header.
City pushed hard in the latter stages of the first half and looked dangerous from a series of free kicks, but Stars were able to hold the hosts at bay and ensure they went into the break with their 2-0 lead intact.
Just as in the first half, Dikwena started strongly in the second and should have added to their lead. Both Luvolwethu Mpeta and Benson Shilongo were guilty of missing good chances within 10 minutes of the restart.
The Citizens responded by using all three substitutions before the hour mark, throwing on Judas Moseamedi (at the start of the second half), Given Mashikinya and Mpho Matsi.
However, it was Stars’ first substitute, Bongi Ntuli, who provided the killer blow when he made it 3-0 to the visitors in the 76th minute, shrugging off a weak challenge before easily rounding Shu-Aib Walters and tapping into an empty net.
Six minutes later it was 4-0, with Mabena adding to his two assists in the first half by springing the offside trap and scoring with a low shot which found the back of the net via the inside of the post.
Things went from bad to worse for City late in the game when defender Joseph Adjei got himself sent off for a second bookable offence, seeing the hosts end the encounter with just 10 men.
