Sundowns hand rivals Supersport a 5-0 drubbing they won't forget in a hurry in one-sided Pretoria derby

Mamelodi Sundowns bounced back from a five match winless streak to reinforce their championship credentials with an emphatic 5-0 derby win over SuperSport United at a rainy Loftus Versfeld on the eve of Easter on Thursday.

SuperSport were left scurrying around like the Easter Bunny as Sundowns ran riot, reminding those who had dared to start writing them off that they still have plenty in the tank going into their final 10 matches of the Absa Premiership season.

They could even afford two horror misses at the start of the game from Percy Tau as they romped into a 4-0 half-time lead and then added one more in the second half.

The first indication of the carnage to come was evident after just four minutes as Hlompho Kekana played a sumptuous through ball to Tau, left with just the goalkeeper to beat but who hesitated and allowed Reyaad Pieterse to make a god save.

One minute later, Tau was through again with just the goalkeeper to beat but his shot hit Pieterse on the shoulder and sailed wide for a corner.

It left the young Sundowns striker looking bewildered and immediately reviving questions about the team’s ability in front of goal.

But that was quickly dispelled. After seven minutes Tau, this time electing to pass rather than shoot, saw his cross hit the knee of Clayton Daniels, and loop over Pieterse for the first goal of the game.

Daniels stuck out his foot to deflect a Kekana shot in the 14th minute and was fortunate to see it go wide when it could just as easily gone into the net for a second own goal of the night.

But four minutes later the lead doubled as Langerman’s shot from wide was blocked by Morgan Gould, only to sit up perfectly for Themba Zwane to tap in easily from close range.

With 26 minutes gone it was 3-0 as Khama Billiat stumbled initially in a good position but then had the presence of mind to back heel for Mzikayise Mashaba to net his first goal of the season from a tight angle.

Billiat, now fully recovered from injury, then got one himself just before half-time with a rasping shot from outside the area that eluded Pieterse and went in off the post.

Langerman’s run down the left hand side set up the fifth goal in the second half, with a textbook pull back that Billiat elegantly tucked away.

Two sides meet on Wednesday in the league again in Atteridgeville where SuperSport will have their last chance to keep themselves in the title race but have now gone 11 derbies in a row against their neighbours without success.

In other PSL results, Platinum Stars lost 2-4 to Cape Town City at Moruleng Stadium, Rustenburg.

- TMG Digital