Fluid Blue Aces outclass timid Laz in the Alex Promotional League

A fluid Blue Aces were just too good for a timid Laz FC when the two teams clashed in the fourth game of the Alexandra Northrand Local Football Association Promotional League at the Altrek Sports Complex.

Aces thrashed Laz 5–1, with the opening goal rattling the back of the net in just five minutes of the start through the boot of Ndiphiwe Mapheka. This was quickly followed by a brilliant header from Pule Modila which gave the Laz keeper no chance.

Towards the end of the first half, Moses Mahloromela, who was the leading goal scorer of the league in last year’s campaign before an injury put paid to him adding to his tally, scored his team’s third.

The two teams went into the halftime break with Aces leading 3–0 in a game they dominated from the word go.

Aces started the second half from where they left off with Mahloromela scoring two more quick goals for his hat-trick, sounding a firm warning of his return.

A miserable goalkeeping blunder from Aces’ Puleng Rammutla allowed Laz, formerly Howza De Laz FC, to score a consolation goal that was chested into the back of the net by Owen Mangwedi.

Rammutla had received a back-pass from one of his defenders but hesitated to clear the ball, most probably thinking it would outrun the advancing Laz striker for a goal kick but the striker caught up with the ball and crossed it to Mangwedi.

Aces coach Dominic Moitsi said they had taken note of Laz’s errors at the back during the game and capitalised on them. “We had initially tried to bring the ball to the goalmouth through wingers but when we noticed the mistakes they were committing, we decided to approach them directly and it paid dividends,” he said.

Laz coach Lazarus Matloga attributed his team’s second defeat with a high scoreline to a lack of experience from his side. More than half of the players are new to the team which campaigned in the same league last year.

They were hammered 6–2 the previous week by DRA FC but Matloga was confident that given time, his team would do better. “This is only our fourth game and the league is still very much at infancy,” he said.

“We will go back to the drawing board and rectify our mistakes. I am sure with the passage of time, we will learn and grow and hopefully turn the corner.”

Other results of the promotional League games:

• Phomolong All Stars FC 1 versus Norwood Young Stars FC 0
• Royal Lions FC 2 versus Black Poison FC 0
• Rangers FC 2 versus Ext 7 FC 2
• Gauteng FC 1 versus Phomolong All Stars FC 1
• DRA FC 3 versus Boss United FC 0
• Gomtown Boyz FC 0 versus Ma-Afrika FC 2
• Akeric Football Institution 0 versus Gauteng FC 3