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SuperSport United were rarely troubled as goals from Ghampani Lungu and Bradley Grobler secured a 2-0 victory over Polokwane City at Bidvest Stadium on Wednesday.
Lungu fired SuperSport in front after just eight minutes of play, before Grobler eventually added a second in the final minutes of the match.
The first half proved to be a one-sided affair as SuperSport claimed an early lead and threatened to add to it on more than one occasion.
Kaitano Tembo's men started the match on the front foot, with Congolese winger Guily Manziba seeing plenty of the ball on the right-hand flank early on.
And it didn't take long for United to claim the lead, Ghampani Lungu latching on to a neat through-pass from Bradley Grobler before slotting a low shot in the back of the net on eight minutes.
The Zambian attacker had a great chance to double his and SuperSport's tally 10 minutes later, but he headed the ball just wide of the post after a teasing cross from the marauding Manziba out wide.
Manziba was causing havoc out wide and his cross in the 23rd minute was half cleared but only as far as Teboho Mokoena, who rifled his shot just wide of the mark. Mokoena again went close just moments later, this time from a Bradley Grobler free-kick, but his headed effort flew wide under pressure from the defence.
Polokwane managed to create a noteworthy chance after the short 'cooling break' for both teams, but it came to nothing as Vusimuzi Mngomezulu struck a low shot just wide of the far post.
The first half ended on a contentious note, however, as Manziba appealed for a penalty after being brought down in the area. The referee, not having the benefit of a TV replay, saw nothing wrong with the challenge and signalled for play to continue - television coverage would later show there had in fact been contact in the challenge.
That moment did not come back to haunt SuperSport, though, as they picked up where they left off after the break.
They really should have been two goals to the good just six minutes in, but Aubrey Modiba somehow failed to hit the target after being teed up by Manziba's pinpoint cross.
There was another great chance for Kaitano Tembo's men on the hour mark as Polokwane keeper George Chigova parried Grobler's header into the path of Lungu, who fired the ball wide.
SuperSport goalkeeper Ronwen Williams was given a rare test with 15 minutes remaining and he responded quickly and decisively as he got down low to deny Salulani Phiri's driven shot.
But the match was eventually ended as a contest in injury time, Grobler making amends for his earlier miss as he rose well to send a glancing header home from Kudakwashe Mahachi's inswinging cross.
- TEAMtalk media
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