SuperSport United have returned to the top five of the DStv Premiership after defeating Maritzburg United 2-0 at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Wednesday evening.

A brace of goals from Bradley Grobler did the trick for Matsatsantsa, who leapfrog Swallows FC into fifth place and guarantee a top-half finish for this season.

The Team of Choice, meanwhile, find themselves just three points above the relegation playoff spot (currently held by Chippa United) heading into the final round of matches.

SuperSport should have claimed the lead just 11 minutes after kick-off, with Grobler teeing up Ghampani Lungu with a clear sight of goal, but the Zambian attacker blazed a shot high and wide with only goalkeeper Marcel Engelhardt to beat.

However, Lungu made up for his miss by providing the assist for the opening goal seven minutes later. The winger played in a low cross from the right which passed through a crowded penalty area to find Grobler unmarked at the back post, with the striker easily converting from close range for 1-0.

It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Matsatsantsa, who suffered an injury blow just after the half hour mark when young right-back Keenan Phillips succumbed to injury and was replaced by Iqraam Rayners.

Maritzburg struggled to create true scoring chances, being restricted almost entirely to long-range efforts which were either off target or comfortably dealt wit by SuperSport goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, leaving the hosts one goal to the good at halftime.

The Team of Choice made a double change and altered their formation at the start of the second half, with Nazeer Allie and Bandile Shandu coming off the bench to replace Dusan Stevic and Daylon Claasen.

Yet the visitors struggled to create any attacking momentum and instead it was SuperSport who claimed the next goal, with Grobler scoring with an intelligent glancing header from Sipho Mbule’s free kick in the 69th minute – 2-0 on the evening and a 16th league goal of the season for the Premiership’s leading marksman.

Grobler almost registered a hat-trick with just under 10 minutes of regulation time to play, hitting the post with another smart header after meeting a Rayners cross from the right flank. Ultimately 2-0 was a fair reflection of SuperSport’s dominance.

The teams will wrap up their 2020-21 DStv Premiership campaigns on Saturday 5 June, with SuperSport away to Chippa United and Maritzburg at home to AmaZulu.

SuperSport United (1) 2 (Grobler 18’ 69’)

Maritzburg United 0

SuperSport: Williams, Phillips (Rayners 32’), Khumalo, Ditlhokwe, Mahachi, Lungu, Donn (Moralo 87’), Mbule, Mokoena, Gabuza, Grobler

Maritzburg: Engelhardt, Rae, Daniels, Ismail (Modise 62’), Stevic (Allie 46’), Graham (Ngwane 77’), Claasen (Shandu 46’), Ntshangase, Tlolane (Bhengu 77’), Hlongwane, Kutumela

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