Sundowns salsa past Maritzburg

Mamelodi Sundowns ran riot at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium as they defeated Maritzburg United 3-0 at claim their first three points since the return of the Absa Premiership.

Katlego Mphela broke the deadlock as early as the fourth minute, before Jabulani Shongwe and Nyasha Mushekwi completed the scoreline with their second half strikes.

Both teams came into the game targeting their first wins since the return of the league, with both teams played to a goalless draw in their first encounters.

Sundowns kept Kaizer Chiefs at bay last Tuesday, while Martizburg were unable to breach the defence of AmaZulu in their first KwaZulu-Natal derby of 2013.

There was barley a moment for the fans to blink as they were graced with an almost immediate goal when Maritzburg’s defence was torn to shreds as early as the fourth minute.

Elias Pelembe was the player who created the magic when he supplied a pinpoint cross into the box, allowing for Katlego Mphela to receive, turn and sneak it in from inside the box.

There was a nervy moment for Sundowns in the 16th minute, when Mario Booysen supplied a cross-cum-shot into the box. It forced Wayne Sandilands to rush off his line, however, the goalkeeper didn’t look at ease when he shakily punched the ball away.

The visitors should have gone 2-0 up in the 24th minute, when Ruben Cloete pulled his hamstring while trying to fend off a looping ball directed towards Anthony Laffor.

The Liberian striker broke free and supplied a ball across the face of goal towards an open Mphela, but the Bafana Bafana international epically skewed his effort from close range.

It was one way traffic at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium and Jabulani Shongwe tried his luck from range, ten minutes from the break, it failed to hit the target.

Ernst Middendorp opted to shake things up by bringing on David Booysen in place of Badile Shandu at the start of the second half. It didn’t seem to have much of an effect, however, as Sundowns managed to double their lead in the 65th minute.

Teko Modise did brilliantly to steal the ball off a player’s feet, inside his own half, to launch it towards Shongwe, who beat Michael Morton and fired the ball into the back of the net.

A chance then fell to the substitute Nyasha Mushekwi in the 77th minute when he beat his defender to shoot at goal, but there was not enough power on the end of it to trouble

Walters.

That was followed up by an even poorer effort by Laffor, but he atoned for his error in the 83rd minute when he assisted a cross to Mushekwi, who tapped in the ball for a third goal.

Maritzburg United 0

Mamelodi Sundowns (1) 3 (Mphela 4’, Shongwe 65’, Mushekwi 83’)

Maritzburg United: Walters, M. Booysen, Awal, Hendricks, Cloete (Matuka 42’), Morton, Shandu (D.Booysen 46’), Buckley, Isaacks (Gyamfi 75’), Sheppard, Malajila

Mamelodi Sundowns: Sandilands, Langerman, Schut, Mabaso, Mwanjale, Shongwe,

Nyandoro (Kekana 68’), Pelembe (Manqele 84’), Laffor, Modise, Mphela (Mushekwi 68’)

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