Amazulu’s attempt to climb out of the lower rungs of the PSL log standings was given further impetus with their nonchalant 3-1 home victory over Bay United at Kwa Mashu’s Princess Magogo Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
On the flip side, this defeat for Bay United sees them firmly entrenched in the relegation zone. A big worry for the Port Elizabeth based team was their inability to create goal scoring chances.
Apart from the goal they scored against the run of play in the second half, Gareth Ncaca’s shot from distance which scraped Amazulu’s upright was the only other goal threatening effort.
Amazulu were clearly in the ascendancy for much of the match and enjoyed the lion’s share of possession throughout the 90 minutes of play.
Their winger Stembiso Dlamini spurned a great opportunity in the fourth minute when he had only Bay United’s keeper Arthur Bartman to beat, but his shot was blocked by the advancing Bartman.
Collins Chabalala skimmed the visitor’s upright with his well drilled shot from outside United’s penalty area, in the 29th minute.
However, the home team eventually registered their first goal of the match two minutes later when Nhlanhla Zwane steered a diving header past Bartman with Dlamini supplying the cross from the left flank.
Usuthu’s second goal came from a well engineered move put together by Chabalala and Dlamini, allowing striker Dumisani Ngwenya to score with a simple tap in the 34th minute.
Amazulu continued to dominate proceedings in the second half, but their recently under-fire coach, Clive Barker, would have been irritated by a defensive lapse in the 81st which allowed Khayaletu Ngangqu to profit from the home team’s central defender, Kapamba Chintu’s, miss-timed defensive clearance.
Awal Issa restored Amazulu’s two goal cushion in the 84th when he let rip with a scorching drive from about 20 yards, giving Bartman no chance.
Striker Brad Ritson who came on for Chabalala in the second half should have put the home team further ahead but his shot missed the target by a narrow margin.
