Amazulu ease their relegation worries while defeated Arrows aren’t out of it yet
AMAZULU pulled a point clear of Golden Arrows in the relegation dogfight after an afternoon of dreary football from the two Durban clubs in the Premiership yesterday.
Usuthu’s goalless draw with equally disappointing Sundowns at a damp Moses Mabhida Stadium lifted them one place to 12th, but Arrows dropped to 13th after their 1-0 loss to Celtic on an untidy surface at Free State Stadium.
With four matches remaining in the campaign, AmaZulu, as well as Sundowns, are now six points clear of the drop zone, while Arrows stayed five points clear.
Neither local side created many scoring chances and could not complain about the result.
After seeing his men produce one shot on target in the second half against Sundowns, Usuthu coach Craig Rosslee accepted the result and urged his men to keep working hard until the end of the league campaign on May 18.
Their remaining fixtures are Free State Stars away, Black Leopards at home, Wits away and Chippa United at home.
“It was very tactical, very tight in the first half, but the second half was better and we knocked the ball around nicer,” said Rosslee, who had his new assistant, Wilfred Mugeyi, with him on the bench.
“I thought Sundowns showed respect to us as there were not a lot of flair players in their side.
“We knew they were going to try to outmuscle us and we spent too much time on the ball at times.
“Against a quality side like Sundowns, one point is okay. The relegation dogfight is far from over, so we have to be at our best all the way.”
With misses coming from Sundowns striker Richard Henyekane in the 40th minute, central midfielder Hlompo Kekana in the 47th and substitute Elias Pelembe in the 82nd, AmaZulu registered their seventh clean sheet in their last 10 league outings.
The home side’s most exciting moment in the game came three minutes from time when substitute Kagiso Senamela forced Sundowns goalkeeper Wayne Sandilands to make a good save.
Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane said: “In the second half we doubled our efforts and I felt we would eventually score, but they did not crack.
“Too many draws for us is no good, but the boys are trying. One point today is not bad. We are not worried, even though games are getting fewer.”
At Free State Stadium, Arrows allowed Celtic to end a six-match winless run in league and knockout action with a 75th-minute goal from Joel Mogorosi off a pass from reserve striker Lennox Bacela.
It was Arrows’ 12th defeat of the season and the scoreline could have been bigger had Celtic striker Rodreck Mutuma not missed so many chances again after replacing seriously injured striker Lerato Manzini.
The Durban south club’s remaining matches are against SuperSport United at home, Moroka Swallows away, Platinum Stars at home and Ajax Cape Town away.
This is a tough run-in and coach Manqoba Mngqithi’s men have to fight hard to avoid dropping into the play-off positions, considering they have enjoyed just one win in their last six assignments in the Premiership.