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Johannesburg - United FC defeated fellow National First Division side Jomo Cosmos 1-0 at Makhulong Stadium on Saturday afternoon to book a place in the quarter-finals of the Nedbank Cup.
Conrad Madolo scored a superb volley early in the second half to secure progression for the Vultures, who had to withstand late pressure from Ezenkosi in order to claim a place in the last eight of the lucrative knockout tournament.
The excellent pitch at Makhulong Stadium suited United’s short passing game, and the visitors sprayed the ball around to great effect and put hosts Cosmos on the back foot from early on.
The Vultures should have broken the deadlock as early as the ninth minute when Tshwarelo Bereng found himself in space down the right of the penalty area, but his shot from a tight angle only found the side netting.
Both sides were guilty of wayward shooting from promising positions in the first half. United’s Seun Ledwaba fired high and wide from a decent opportunity in the 27th minute, while Ezenkosi’s Thabang Monare did the same a short while later.
The visitors created the best chance of the first stanza in the 44th minute when Conrad Madolo wriggled past a challenge in the penalty area, only to shoot wide from what was a challenging angle.
However, Madolo found his range in the third minute of the second half. A ball dropped kindly for him on the ‘D’ of Cosmos’ box and he crashed a superb volley into the back of the net via the inside of the post, giving the Cosmos goalkeeper no chance whatsoever.
Cosmos created no clear opportunities from which to score an equaliser, though United did have a few heart-in-mouth moments at the back when their defenders and goalkeeper lost composure. Fortunately for them, the ball never found its way past young goalkeeper Zakhale Ngcobo.
Conrad Madolo scored a superb volley early in the second half to secure progression for the Vultures, who had to withstand late pressure from Ezenkosi in order to claim a place in the last eight of the lucrative knockout tournament.
The excellent pitch at Makhulong Stadium suited United’s short passing game, and the visitors sprayed the ball around to great effect and put hosts Cosmos on the back foot from early on.
The Vultures should have broken the deadlock as early as the ninth minute when Tshwarelo Bereng found himself in space down the right of the penalty area, but his shot from a tight angle only found the side netting.
Both sides were guilty of wayward shooting from promising positions in the first half. United’s Seun Ledwaba fired high and wide from a decent opportunity in the 27th minute, while Ezenkosi’s Thabang Monare did the same a short while later.
The visitors created the best chance of the first stanza in the 44th minute when Conrad Madolo wriggled past a challenge in the penalty area, only to shoot wide from what was a challenging angle.
However, Madolo found his range in the third minute of the second half. A ball dropped kindly for him on the ‘D’ of Cosmos’ box and he crashed a superb volley into the back of the net via the inside of the post, giving the Cosmos goalkeeper no chance whatsoever.
Cosmos created no clear opportunities from which to score an equaliser, though United did have a few heart-in-mouth moments at the back when their defenders and goalkeeper lost composure. Fortunately for them, the ball never found its way past young goalkeeper Zakhale Ngcobo.
