Northerns lose third successive home game

The Benoni Northerns Football Club (BNFC) senior side’s poor home run continued after slumping to their third successive loss with a 4-0 thumping by Alberton in their opening Super League encounter on the Ted Jarvis Field on March 2.

A second-half brace from Lelethu Mkhatshana ensured the visitors started their season on a positive note while the home side folded yet again in front of their fans.

Northerns started fast but the same problems from their top eight clash against Sporting two weeks ago resurfaced as poor defending and a lack of organisation in midfield found them wanting.

Alberton didn’t need to hit top gear to record their win but they were ruthless in taking their chances from the beginning to the end. They overloaded the midfield and played long balls forward to frustrate the Northerns centre-back pairing of Michael Juanas-Uriol and Graham Viljoen.

They got their first sniff at goal early when Mkhatshane called Northerns keeper Cole Simpson into action with a volley just outside the area. Simpson reacted quickly to punch the ball above the goalposts for a corner.

Despite Northerns’ positive response when full-back Keitumetse Lerefolo shot above the posts, Alberton dominated from that moment on but were kept at bay for much of the half by some brilliant goalkeeping from Simpson.

Against the run of play, calamitous defending gifted Alberton mid-way through the half when skipper Evans Appraku gave them the lead.

The forward latched onto a miscued Juanas-Uriol clearance and outmuscled Viljoen before beating Simpson on his near side.

Right at half-time, Appraku could have doubled the advantage but saw his shot parried out for a corner by Simpson and the match went into the break with the hosts behind.

Northerns coach Andrew Kelly sent on Kgotso Mohari, Sipho Pooe and Fortune Mkhenene for the second half and the hosts were more solid. They began the second stanza with a rare period of possession but were quickly dispatched by Sifiso Ngwenya’s curler from the left side that beat Simpson on his far side to double the advantage for Alberton.

The response was quick as Northerns striker Nicholas Farinha caught the Alberton goalie off-guard with a long-range shot but the shot-stopper moved an inch back and sifted the ball above the goals for a corner.

That seemed to spark life into Kelly’s side as a quick one-two between Pooe and Mohari on the left found Mkhenene unmarked on the edge of the box but his fierce strike was pushed out for a corner and from the set-piece, Farinha watched as his header sailed inches over the bar.

That was it for the home-side as a lapse in concentration at the back again gifted Alberton another goal, which was buried by Mkhatshana. The winger then rubbed salt into the festering Northerns wound when he grabbed his second and his team’s fourth late on after a pass from the middle found him unmarked on the right. He ran through unchallenged to score as Alberton grabbed three valuable points.

Earlier, Malose Makhafola and Bonginkosi Mlakalaka scored to earn the Northerns reserves a 2-0 victory against Alberton reserves.

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