Allende strikes again to earn Sundowns last-gasp win against AmaZulu

Substitute Marcelo Allende scored his third goal in five games in added time to earn Mamelodi Sundowns a last-gasp 1-0 DStv Premiership win against tough AmaZulu at Loftus Versfeld on Sunday.

Brandon Truter’s Usuthu have been competitive in 2022-23, though some of their early momentum had slipped with two defeats and a draw in their last four league games.

The Durban team provided the stern test that was expected, matching their hosts in the opening half. Usuthu played almost entirely on the back foot as the Brazilians piled on the pressure in the second 45 minutes.

It seemed it would not be Downs’ afternoon until Allende’s strike in the 91st minute earned a win that gave the Pretoria team a five-point lead over second-placed Orlando Pirates, who have a game in hand, just before the one-third stage of the campaign.

The opening half was predictably competitive, both sides defending strongly and openings hard to come by. Downs and Usuthu had chances they would have felt could have seen them go to the break with a goal instead of at 0-0.

Inside the opening 20 minutes Andile Jali won the ball with a thumping challenge in his own half on Makhehlene Makhaula and fed an advancing Teboho Mokoena, who put through the pass for a two-one-one for Themba Zwane. The recently recalled Bafana Bafana star turned a defender twice then cracked a shot onto the crossbar.

For Usuthu, just before the half-hour Keagan Buchanan's free-kick from the right was cleared as far as Gabadinho Mhango on the edge of the area who struck with power to force a stop from Ronwen Williams. The loose ball fell at the feet of centreback Sandile Khumalo, Williams making an athletic double-stop.

Downs had another chance in added time, Sipho Mbule showing his skill on the right as he sidefooted a pass to Erwin Saavedra, the Bolivian blasting wide.

The second half was one-way traffic in the direction of Usuthu's goal.

Mokoena fashioned space on the edge of the box via a Zwane back-heel and drove wide. A corner was taken short to Allende who crossed, the ball falling at the knees of a seemingly surprised Peter Shalulile who could not get a shot in.

Downs' awe-inspiring strength was on display when, a day after his signing from Cape Town City, Bafana left-back Terrence Mashego replaced Sifiso Ngobeni in the 75th.

A stray Veli Mothwa clearance went to Shalulile, Usuthu's keeper recovering to save from the Namibian. Substitute Morena skipped inside from the left and fed Zwane free on the right to shoot at Mothwa.

Seconds into added time Zwane stabbed forward to Allende on the right who fed Morena to be dispossessed in the area. The loose ball found the Chilean again, free on the right, who placed a shot to find Mothwa too far out to cover his near post, the ball squirting in off the keeper’s attempted save.

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