Urban Warriors go top with last-gasp win

Cape Town Spurs climbed to the Motsepe Foundation Championship summit with one match left to play after they beat NB La Masia 2-1 at the Dobsonville Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Shaun Bartlett’s side missed numerous chances before Ashley Cupido broke the deadlock from the penalty spot on 73 minutes, although their lead lasted just 11 minutes as Mogamad Jappie equalised with a spot-kick of his own.

But the Urban Warriors persevered and their efforts were rewarded at the death when Luvuyo Phewa struck a last-gasp winner to take them one point above Casric Stars, who were held to a 1-1 draw by Venda Football Academy. 

Spurs almost made the perfect start when Colin Ryan was played into space down the left flank in the third minute and he advanced into the area before hitting the right post after cutting back onto his right foot.

Bartlett’s boys went on to dominate proceedings in the middle of the park and they created the majority of the chances, with Thela Moosa failing to keep his header down in the 14th minute after getting on the end of a floated cross from the left.

The hosts barely had a sniff at goal and their one attempt in the first half saw Ryan Baatjies line up a shot from range that drifted well wide of the right post in the 17th minute.

Leo Thethani then had a shot blocked on 27 minutes after Moosa flicked Cupido’s low cross into his path following good build-up play down the right and he forced a fine save out of Smiso Ndlela from a similar position inside the box in the 40th minute.

Moosa should perhaps have done better when he scuffed his effort wide of the target on 44 minutes after being played in by a ball over the top from Jarrod Moroole.

Spurs continued to push for the opener after the restart and Moosa again proved wasteful as he headed over from just six yards out Ryan’s cross from a short corner found him unmarked in the 56th minute.

Asenele Velebayi tested Ndlela with a firm strike from the edge of the box on the hour mark and Clayton Daniels saw his angled shot cleared off the line at the back post moments later before a long throw-in from Cohen Stander on 65 minutes caused more panic as the home keeper spilled the ball at his near post and the defender hacked the ball off the line once again.

The sustained pressure paid off six minutes later when Moosa went down under a challenge from Ronald Wee inside the box on the right and Cupido tucked the resulting penalty into the right corner of the net despite Ndlela getting fingertips to the ball.

La Masia looked to respond and Lincoln Veyver breathed a sight of relief in the 80th minute when Gregory Roelf hit the underside of the crossbar with a header from point-blank range, which bounced down on the line before being cleared away from danger.

However, Veyver conceded a penalty two minutes later after going into the back of Kyle Rademeyer on the byline in a bid to cut out a low cross and Jappie sent him the wrong way from 12 yards out to level matters.

Moroole squandered a glorious chance to restore Spurs’ lead three minutes from time when he headed a corner over the bar from an unmarked position at the near post, although Phewa spared his blushes in the third minute of stoppage time as he lashed a first-time shot beyond Ndela from 16 yards out to secure a dramatic victory.

NB La Masia (0) 1 (Jappie 84′ PEN)

Cape Town Spurs (0) 2 (Cupido 73′ PEN, Phewa 90+3′)