Amaskills’ quick stinger goals dim the Stars
After a winning run of 12 matches and two draws, the bright stars of the River Park-based outfit United Stars were finally dimmed.
Two quick stinger goals in each half by the Amaskills were enough to dim the glow of the United Stars when it was finally beaten 2–1 after an impressive and record-breaking run of 14 games, winning 12 and only losing the 15th.
The loss occurred in a game that marked the closure of the first half of the Alexandra Northrand Local Football Association’s Promotional League match at the Alexandra Stadium on March 16.
Ext 10-based Amaskills was the first to register their name on the scoreboard through a header by Sinqobile Simamane in less than five minutes of the start of play. After that Amaskills committed several fouls and escaped with a talking to from the referee.
That quick stinger coupled with physical knock-offs of the ball seemed to dim the glow of the Stars as it never got to play its own passing game and quick runs that tend to exploit gaps in opponents to create scoring opportunities.
Amaskills constantly knocked and bumped off the Stars’ players from the ball which also infuriated the less physical Stars players who often mobbed the referee to demand protection and that made them angry and they put their feet off the pedal.
There were a couple of incidents around Stars skipper Bandile ‘Black’ Sithole and Amaskills goal scorer Simamane, one of which resulted in a yellow for the Amaskills player and another between skipper Sithole and his opposition counterpart Luyanda Shezi.
It was not long again that Amaskills’ Buhle Malinga found the back of the net with yet another quick stunner soon after the resumption of the second half that further deepened the dim glow of the Stars.
Amaskills’ Pfano Mulaudzi cost his side a penalty when he fouled Itumeleng ‘Lebese’ Morake inside the box and the referee never hesitated in pointing to the spot. Thabiso ‘Matata’ Mangoaela raised his hand to take the penalty but the Amaskills keeper read the body language well and dived in the right direction of the ball to save the spot kick.
In a last-minute goal scramble, Amaskills’ Muzi Msimango shot his side on the foot when he scored an own goal in a bid to clear the ball and the league’s promotional cookie managed to scramble a consolation goal as it crumbled for the first time in this game after a streak of 12 wins, two draws and this loss.
Delaying tactics abound from Amaskills, leading to Mzomuhle Mbatha and his keeper, Wandile Ncube, receiving yellow cards.
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