Polokwane City stay in PSL

Giyani - Polokwane City will live to fight another day in the PSL after a 2-1 playoff victory over Black Leopards at the Giyani Stadium on Sunday.

The win saw Boebie Solomons' side ending the promotion-relegation play-offs with 10 points, while Leopards picked up six points from their four games.

Milano United managed just a single point.

The score-line was however not a fair reflection of a game which saw Leopards dominating in attack, but without reward as they hit the woodwork on four occasions.

After going 2-0 up within 30 minutes, Polokwane had to survive over an hour of relentless pressure from Kosta Papic's men, who struck the woodwork four times before finally scoring their only goal of the game 12 minutes from time.

Needing to win the game outright to earn promotion to the top flight, Leopards were off to the worst possible start when they went a goal down within the opening two minutes.

It was a goal of effective simplicity as Sipho Jembula got his head on the end of a free kick from Galabgwe Moyana to beat Lidoda Duvha goalkeeper Jacob Mokhasi.

The goal saw Leopards springing to action as they took control of the game for the next 15 minutes, although their best chance was limited to an off-target strike from range by Edgar Manaka, while at the other end Polokwane nearly scored on the break when Jabu Maluleke played in Jembula, but the latter was denied by Mokhasi.

It was however Rise and Shine who were to score next, their second goal coming from the spot on 26 minutes. Vukile Mngqibisa slotted the penalty home after Jembula's legs had been taken out by Djunga Munganga.

Leopards were then to suffer a further setback when Mokhasi was forced off by injury, although his replacement, Dino Visser, made some outstanding saves, including an excellent stop on Sphesihle Nzimande.

Visser's counterpart, Modiri Marumo, was also showing fine form as he made a series of saves towards the end of the first half, including a point-blank stop on Mumuni Abubakar.

Marumo was however powerless to stop Kenneth Owusu's thumping header in the 38th minute, but fortunately for the Botswana international the ball bounced back off the woodwork.

There was more to come from Lidoda Duvha, but somehow they could not find the back of the net as Maboke Matlakala fired a shot across goal while Marumo made another two saves before half-time.

The match continued in the same vein after the restart, with Leopards taking the game to their opponents as they continued to search for a way back into the game.

With 12 minutes to go, Lidoda Duvha's fortune finally changed as Siphelele Ntshangase fired in a low drive from 10-yards out after City had failed to clear a corner kick.

Leopards continued to pepper the Polokwane goal in the dying stages of the game, but apart from a goalmouth scramble in added time, did not manage to put Marumo under any severe pressure as Rise and Shine held on for the victory.