Northerns thrash Thembisa in Super League
Sipho Pooe (2), Lusanda Talazo and Siphesihle Maseko scored Northerns' goals.
Benoni Northerns’ striker Sipho Pooe grabbed a second-half brace to help his team to a 4-0 win against Thembisa Pistons in round 12 of the Eastern Super League at the Northerns main ground on May 25.
Pooe scored the second and third goals for Northerns to give life to a game that produced no goals in a dull and insipid first half.
His first strike was a beauty outside the area. After receiving a long ball, he put it down, lifted his head and noticed the keeper was far from the goal line. He then lofted the ball into an empty net.
The striker scored his second and Northerns’ third moments later when he chipped the ball above the keeper after beating an off-side trap.
Northerns went into this game high in confidence after a 5-1 win over Edenvale in the previous round. But they started the match slow and despite the hard work of Lebo Mamale and Sipheshile Maseko on the wings, nothing troubled the Thembisa back four.
The visitors also failed to impose themselves in the first half despite moments of dominance, especially in the middle of the park.
Despite a few goal-mouth scrambles and shots off target, both keepers were spectators for much of the half and were equal to the task whenever called into action.
After a lacklustre first half, Northerns marksman Lusanda Talazo brought life to the game early in the second half when he put his team in front following a free-kick floated by defender Sonnyboy Mkhwanazi.
The ball ricocheted off a Thembisa defender and found Talazo unmarked. The striker chested it down before putting it into the back of the net.
The hosts grew in confidence, and Pooe made it two and three before he set up Maseko to make it four deep in the second half.
Late in the game, Pooe could have grabbed his hat-trick, but a Thembisa defender intercepted him after holding onto the ball for too long instead of shooting when he was given acres of space inside the visitors’ box.
The game ended 4-0 as the home side made it three out of three while it was back to the drawing board for the Thembisans.
Earlier, the Northerns second team beat Thembisa 3-0.
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