Sekhukhune United and Polokwane City ended their weekend with a point in the bag, following a 1-1 stalemate in the DStv Premiership on Sunday afternoon.
In what was a game of missed chances at the Peter Mokaba Stadium this weekend, Sekhukhune and Polokwane City played to a tense affair in their latest league fixture before the international break.
Rise and Shine held most of the ball during the opening stages of the match and played much of their football inside the Sekhukhune half. With 10 minutes on the clock, the home team struggled to get into the game as a result of Polokwane City’s pressure.
Polokwane City continued to pile on the pressure as the 20th minute approached, with Oswin Appolis being the creator in-chief for the travelling outfit.
Babina Noko struggled to match Polokwane City in the passing department as a result of their disciplined approach to their build-up play from defensive positions.
With 30 minutes played at the Peter Mokaba Stadium, Sekhukhune attacked in sporadic moments but failed to make the most of their chances when going forward. Nyiko Mobbie came close to opening the scoring for Sekhukhune, however, goalkeeper Manuel Sapunga kept the full-back at bay with a fine near post save.
Sekhukhune grew stronger as the half came to a close, with Polokwane City’s work rate decreasing considerably. Nonetheless, it was Rise and Shine who controlled most of the first 45 in terms of the ball possession count.
It was an end-to-end affair at the beginning of the second-half, with both sides signalling their intent at getting on the scoresheet. However, it was Rise and Shine who once again edged their opponent to the ball possession count.
With 60 minutes on the clock, Sekhukhune battled to progress the ball out of their half and often looked untidy in possession. However, Rise and Shine provided little threat in the attacking third during this period.
Polokwane City looked the likelier of the two sides to open the scoring but squandered their opportunities at the final hurdle.
As the game ended with little action being produced in the respective penalty areas, the referee called time on the affair with the score level at 0-0.