SuperSport swat Swallows aside after second-half fireworks

SuperSport United barely raised a sweat as they beat Swallows 3-0 in a Premier Soccer League match at Dobsonville Stadium on Sunday.

After a rather tight and goalless first half, the game opened up in the second period when referee Tshidiso Mkhwanazi awarded a penalty to the visitors in the 59th minute that was converted by Jamie Webber.

Moments later SuperSport midfielder Teboho Mokoena won the ball and after picking out a lurking Webber as he ran into the area, the midfielder struck his shot first time towards goal. A diving Virgil Vries made the save but the ball rolled kindly towards Mokoena, who made no mistake and punished the home side.

Sipho Sibiya, who gave away the earlier penalty, was having a torrid afternoon in the Swallows rearguard and conceded another spot kick in the 70th minute that effectively put the game out of the home side’s reach.

Mkhwanazi ruled the defender had brought down a speeding Webber inside the area and pointed to the spot.

Thamsanqa Gabuza stepped up to score his second goal of the season and wrap up all the points for the Pretoria side.

There were few chances during a pedestrian first half that saw both sides cancelling each other out rather than trying to break the deadlock.

The visitors had the first clear-cut chance of the opening period when Iqraam Rayners unleashed a curling shot from outside the area, but Vries was equal to the task and parried the ball to safety.

Swallows had chances of their own and should have beaten United goalkeeper Ronwen Williams when Matlala Makgalwa broke free unmarked after a long-range shot from inside their own half. Williams was caught in no-man’s land and Makgalwa had the option of rolling the ball to Kagiso Malinga as the United goalie desperately tried to close the space.

But Makgalwa inexplicably tripped over his own feet just metres from the goal line and United were able to recover and clear the ball.