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Nedbank Cup trophy (TEAMtalk)
Bethlehem - Richards Bay upset defending Nedbank Cup champions Free State Stars 2-1 to advance to the next round on Saturday.
The National First Division team survived an onslaught from Free
State Stars, who will lament many missed opportunities, ultimately succumbing
to two counter attacks at a sun-baked Goble Park.
The hosts showed they were certainly the big brothers on the pitch
early on, stringing together a number of fluid moves, but just couldn't
find the back of the net. Sinethemba Jantjie proved to be a menace,
twice finding space but skewered his shot on both occasions.
Free State Stars continued to control possession, with KwaZulu-Natal's Rich Boys
relying on frenetic counter-attacks that were easily thwarted by the
wiser Stars defence.
In the dying embers of opening half, a superb through-ball put
Richard Bay's Paseka Sekese in space on the edge of the box and the
midfielder tried to round his marker but was off balance when he took
the shot, which sailed over the crossbar.
With the half-time whistle imminent, Free State Stars' Yussuf Jappie
fired a rocket from a good 35 yards out, but left Andile Mbanjwa
untroubled.
Free State Stars continued to impress at the set piece early in the
second half, with Harris Tchilimbou earning a free header at the back
post from a corner, but his effort missed the left hand post.
Richards Bay would finally break the deadlock against the run of
play in the 53rd minute. Midfielder Sandile Kubeka put Michael Gumede in
space, who controlled the ball beautifully before firing the ball home
with a powerful right footed strike that was too hot for Stars stopper
Badra Sangare to handle.
The goal resulted in Free State upping the intensity with a flurry
of attacks but the Richards Bay defence, though far from convincing at
times, managed to hold.
The killer blow from Richards Bay came via the right boot of
Siyanda Ngubo. Under attack deep in their half, the KwaZulu-Natal Rich Boys
snuffled the ball and substitute Sandile Mthethwa hoofed it down
route one, only to somehow pick out a flying Ngubo who showed blistering
pace and skill to make it 2-0 for the visitors.
However, Free State Stars continued to press and they were finally
rewarded two minutes later. A long ball was played in and after Richards
Bay failed to clear, Sifiso Mbele had time to guide the ball past
Mbanjwa to give the hosts hope.
The defending champions threw everything they had at the panicked
Richards Bay defence in the dying embers of the match, but the visitors
survived a couple goalmouth scrambles to record a memorable win and
advance to the round of 16.
