Estate FC cements top-four finish
Estate Football Club proved their title credentials and cemented a top-four finish in the Germiston Super League, as they collected maximum points in two consecutive days over the weekend of March 11 and 12.
In the first match, the Windmill Park outfit made Revolution Spurs pay for scoring first in their backyard by mauling them 3-1 at the Boksburg City Stadium on Saturday.
In an unusual but certainly gruelling turn of events, Estate were scheduled to play a catch-up match the following day on the Sunday.
They ran riot against Carlson Elsburg FC before the opposition made the score look more respectable with a consolation goal towards the end of the match, which ended 4-2 to Estate. This match was also played at the Boksburg City Stadium.
The two results saw Estate secure a top-four finish with one league game remaining, and strengthened their case for next season’s title race.
The Germiston Super League is set to go right down to the wire, with leaders Green Stars as favourites to win it all come D-Day. But Germiston United still have a lot to say about that.
The leaders sit with 35 points from 15 outings and a win will see them crowned champions.
Third-placed United, who sit on 28 points with two games in hand, need to collect at least seven points in their remaining fixtures, and need the leaders to slip up.
The last match for Estate, which was supposed to have been played on Saturday, March 18, has been postponed because of team boss Sihle Zuma’s wedding in KwaZulu-Natal on the same day.
A new date for their last match is likely to be released in the course of this week.
In Saturday’s encounter against Spurs, the visitors made a morale-boosting start as they opened the game’s scoring to go 1-0 ahead. Their celebrations, however, were short lived, as Estate’s dynamic forward Kgomotso Rahlogo levelled matters soon after.
Rahlogo continued to prick Spurs’ defence and was fouled in the danger area after receiving a defence-splitting pass from midfield, giving the referee little choice but to point to the spot. Estate captain Tebogo Mokobane scored the resulting penalty to hand Zuma’s side the lead for the first time in the game as half-time loomed.
The home side built on their first-half momentum following the break. Left fullback Sabelo Kubeka put the cherry on top of the cake as he netted his side’s third from a deadball and secured the vital full complement of points.
“The performance was amazing,” said a satisfied Zuma.
“When they (Spurs) scored, they did so against the run of play. We were dominating the ball and pressed them in midfield. They caught us on the counter and scored. But I’m happy with the performance from the boys. Everything we did worked according to our plans we had for the game.”
It was a similar scenario on Sunday in Estate’s favour as they showed no signs of fatigue.
Apparently driven by the bigger prize, the home side came out of the blocks firing before Rahlogo gave them the lead early on. Midfielder Thubalenkosi Nsimango doubled Estate’s advantage with a tap-in from a Rahlogo assist just before the half-hour mark to put his team in the driving seat.
The goal fest continued and must have been great for the neutrals. But it was Elsburg on the score sheet this time when they pulled one back to leave the encounter perfectly poised at 2-1 going into the match’s half-mark 15-minute recess.
With the pressure firmly on the Windmill Park outfit, they responded accordingly as central midfielder Mfundo Myeni, whom Zuma refers to as the team’s engine room, calmed Estate nerves as he punished frail defending by Elsburg from a set-piece to restore his team’s two-goal cushion.
With time running out and the run of play pointing to a second Estate win in as many days, substitute striker Nhlanhla Radebe drove the nail in Elsburg’s coffin with his side’s fourth from his first touch upon his arrival on the pitch.
The visitors pulled one back to end the match with perhaps a flattering 4-2 score line for them.
Asked about his concerns of conceding two goals, Zuma chose to dismiss it and instead focus on his side’s scoring four. “When we attack, we go all out and our fullbacks are always part of our attacks so we were again caught on the break. I’m pleased with the win because it has put us in a great position to win the league.” – @SabeloBoksburg
