We played to an action packed draw with Kaizer Chiefs this afternoon at Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium.
The first 45 saw no action as far as goals were concerned but it did not lack entertaining play from the boys as they took the game to Chiefs from the first whistle. The attacking play was solid and the determination to score was clear. We had a number of decent plays up the wing, with Conco doing well to get behind the defense and feeding the balls into the box, but we just lacked in the finishing and could not break the final line of the Amakhozi defense. Our best chance came from a Gumede attempt in the 10th minute which went over the bar.
Chiefs had a number of chances to score too, Castro missed a header as it hit the woodwork and then pushed in the final minute of the first half but were denied by a great save from Mlungwana. This saw the teams going to the break with no goals on the scoreboard.
The second half was completely different! We did not seem to have as much of the ball as these did in the first half an had to use our possession well. We were awarded a penalty in the 49th minute after Nkombelo was taken down in the box by Manyama. Conco made no mistake in his conversion and so began the goal scoring for the half.
Billiat and Castro started putting more pressure on the defense and managed to get behind the line a couple of times.
Castro managed a brace for his efforts, scoring witha header in the 58th minute and then finding the back of the net again the 65th, giving the visitors the lead.
We showed great determination and never gave up. Although we did not enjoy the possession we would have liked, we made good decisions when we had the ball on boot. In the 70th minute Sibiya, who had come onto the park just minutes before, curled a great ball in past Khune to equalise.
A great effort from the entire team today, there was not one player who did not give their all.
We go at it again, next week Saturday 28 November when we take on TS Galaxy at Mbombela Stadium at 15:30
