Blues come out on top with 6-2 win
The result left the Blues in third place with 33 points after 15 outings – 10 adrift of league leaders Sporting who’ve played two more games.
The Boksburg Football Club’s title hopes looked to have been dented from as early as the first-half in their catch-up midweek ELFA League 1 encounter against Old Bens on September 3.
This is after they went into the half-time break trailing 2-0 in Benoni.
However, it was a lead well deserved for the underdogs who started off in the ascendancy.
Following a surprising slow start by the high-flying Blues, Old Bens made the most of their home ground advantage as they conjured up attack after attack.
The visitors managed to absorb the early pressure from the hosts, but it came at a price: two conceded goals, leaving Blues coach Ernest Seforo with his work cut out for the half-time talk.
Seforo said: “I congratulated the boys in the dressing room for finishing the first half having played good football – albeit with a few unconverted chances.
“The spirit was uplifted and I changed my formation. I assured them that we needed the three points and they promised me that Old Bens wouldn’t score again.”
Notorious for finishing strong, the Blues tapped into that gear that’s seen them net well over 30 goals in the last month or so.
A little over 10 minutes into the restart, replacement attacking midfielder Mfanelo Mabale released a stinging long-range effort which beat the Old Bens goalkeeper and hit the top corner, giving the goalminder no chance.
Five minutes later, danger man Shane Radebe cancelled Old Bens’ advantage when he levelled matters when he sent a defender to the cleaners before releasing a strike which again beat Old Bens’ last line of defence, 2-2.
It wasn’t long after the celebrations before the visitors took the lead for the first time with central midfielder Kgothatso Gololo registering his name on the score sheet.
The pendulum had swung the Blues’ way at this point and their superb conditioning came to the fore as the visitors began to take charge.
Star forward Bandile Mazibuko made it four a few minutes later as he applied the finishing touches to a delicious cross by Radebe.
Like their visitors in the first stanza, it was Old Bens who had to endure wave after wave of attack, and the pressure told when Boksburg made it five. Mabale completed his brace from the penalty spot after foul play inside the danger box.
With the game now beyond doubt, Blues left full back Kabelo Mashigo drove the final nail into Old Bens’ coffin when he completed a lengthy overlap sprint with a goal to give Seforo’s men a 6-2 victory.
