Cape Town City snatch late win over AmaZulu

Midfielder Roland Putsche scored six minutes from time as Cape Town City beat AmaZulu 1-0 at home on Friday to move up into second place in the Premier Soccer League.

The Austrian followed through his own build-up to get a final touch as Thabo Nodada’s cross into the area was missed by AmaZulu goalkeeper Boalefa Pule under pressure from Lyle Lakay and Putsche made sure that it wen toer the line for a ‘snatch and grab’ success.

The goal came after City struck the woodwork twice in with successive shots, the first from Sibusiso Masina and then from veteran Teko Modise who had come on as a second half substitute.

“We grinded out the result but too many of our players were not at the races and that’s why we need to grind it out,” said City coach Benni McCarthy after only his second win in the last 10 matches.

City are now on 21 points, four behind leaders Mamelodi Sundowns who they will meet away on Tuesday.

It was a game characterised by a high tempo but far too many mistakes with poor decision making – not much different to much of the recent fare on offer in the PSL.

Masina found himself with the first chance of the game after eight minutes but Phumlani Gumede, returning to the side after suspension, might a timeous tackle to deny the home team the early breakthrough.

AmaZulu had a horror miss after 28 minutes when Siyethemba Dlamini beat the offside trap and with Ovidy Karuru to his right had a situation with just City goalkeeper Sage Stephens to beat.

He need only slip the ball across to Cele for an easy tap-in but selfishly went on his own and was denied by Stephens. It was poor decision-making by Dlamini that characterised much of the game.

Two minutes later, City found themselves in a similar one-on-one situation with only the AmaZulu ‘keeper to beat as Putsche put a delightful ball over the top of the opposing defence for Craig Martin to run onto. But it bounced off his knee and got away from him at the crucial moment.

Putsche, in for the injured Mpho Matsi in City’s engine room, then put a header from an Aubrey Ngoma free kick over the top and in the last minute before the break Victor Obinna was wide as he got onto the end of the cross from Ebrahim Seedat.

After the break, Nodada’s shot deflected over while AmaZulu had a half chance for Ovidy Karuru but the game only really came in the final five minutes.