SuperSport United saw their unbeaten run in the DStv Premiership come to an end after they suffered a 3-0 defeat against Golden Arrows at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane on Tuesday evening.

Gavin Hunt's side had a chance to close within two points of league leaders Mamelodi Sundowns, but were guilty of wastefulness and Abafana Bes'thende made them pay.

Lungelo Nguse opened the scoring in the 34th minute before Angelo Van Rooi and Ryan Moon got their names on the scoresheet in the second half to wrap up a second successive win for Arrows to lift them above Matsatsantsa into second place.

Both teams came into the clash on the back of a win at the weekend, with SuperSport beating Stellenbosch 2-1 and Vusumuzi Vilakazi's side running out 3-2 victorious over Polokwane City.

The hosts created the majority of the chances in the first half and they made a bright start as Bradley Grobler steered a header over the goal from Kegan Johannes's cross on seven minutes before Lyle Lakay forced Ismail Watenga into a save at his near post six minutes later.

Ricardo Goss was called into action for the first time on 16 minutes to deny Brandon Theron after he met Bradley Cross's delivery into the box, while Ronald Pfumbidzai failed to hit the target at the other end with two headers before the half-hour mark.

The KZN outfit would draw first blood though, when Cross picked out Nduduzo Sibiya in space and he crossed for Nguse to slot home from close range in the 34th minute.

WASTEFUL

Matsatsantsa looked to respond before halftime, but Gamphani Lungu fired wide of the near post from inside the area on the right in the 43rd minute and Pfumbidzai was unable to beat Watenga with a header from Johannes's cross on 45 minutes.

Hunt made two changes at the break, bringing on Ime Okon and Etiosa Ighodaro, although the substitutions didn't have the desired effect as the Pretoria giants fell further behind on 54 minutes.

Good build-up play led to Tebogo Tlolane sending Van Rooi through on goal and he managed to beat Goss at the second attempt to double Arrows' lead.

SuperSport almost pulled one back moments later as Terrence Dzvukamanja delivered a cross into the box for Ighodaro, who tested Watenga with a header and the Ugandan goalkeeper was given more work to do on 64 minutes after Grant Margeman tried his luck from range.

A lovely switch of play from Velemseni Ndwandwe found Van Rooi in space on 70 minutes and his shot from distance sailed over the crossbar, while Shandre Campbell went close at the other end five minutes later with a long-range strike that flashed just wide of the left post.

SuperSport kept pushing for a goal in the closing stages, but Ighodaro was wasteful as he dragged a shot to the left of the target on 77 minutes and Keenan Bezuidenhout failed to keep his effort down from outside the box in the 79th minute before Campbell also skied an attempt two minutes later.

After Grobler drew a save out of Watenga with a header in the 84th minute, Arrows went up the other end of the pitch to seal the win, with Moon squeezing his shot past Goss at the near post from a tight angle.

SuperSport United (0) 0

Golden Arrows (1) 3 (Nguse 34', Van Rooi 54', Moon 87')

SuperSport United: 

R Goss, K. Johannes (E. Ighodaro 46'), T. Hlatshwayo, S. Xulu (I. Okon 46'), R. Pfumbidzai, G. Margeman (K. Bezuidenhout 76'), L. Lakay (P. Nange 65'), S. Ndlovu, G. Lungu, B. Grobler, T. Dzvukamanja (S. Campbell 66').

Golden Arrows: 

I Watenga, B. Theron, G. Shitolo, T. Mantshiyane, B. Cross, V. Ndwandwe, L. Dube, A. Van Rooi (S. Cele 82'), T. Tlolane (O. Ncube 67'), N. Sibiya (S. Mthanti 61'), L. Nguse (R. Moon 61').

Backpage TXT