Chippa United’s unbeaten run under coach Clinton Larsen came to a halt when they were stunned 1-0 by SuperSport United at the Sisa Dukashe stadium in Mdantsane on Sunday.
The outcome was a double- edged sword for local football fans as it marked Chippa’s last league encounter at Sisa Dukashe Stadium for the season.
The visitors took only less than 20 minutes to stun the hosts with former Chippa United player, Mxolisi Macuphu, coming back to haunt his former employers, when he netted in the 18th minute.
Although the hosts were looking dangerous from the first whistle, they were also guilty of not fighting hard enough when they had opportunities to score.
Thabo Rakhale and Rhulani Manzini were the main culprits when their formidable partnership up front promised so much but delivered little, if anything.
The match swung to and fro with SuperSport’s Tebeho Mokoena missing a gilt-edged goal-scoring opportunity.
Manzini could have had the equaliser in the 33rd minute when he got into a one-on-one situation with SuperSport shot-stopper Ronwen Williams, but shot narrowly wide.
SuperSport defenders Clayton Daniels and Grant Kekana were forced to work overtime as the Chilli Boys raided the visitors’ goalmouth.
The match proved to be a bit of a nightmare for Manzini, who squandered chance after chance.
Throughout the first half, former NFD player, now at Chippa United, Ruzaigh Gamildien was unlucky as he tried to penetrate Matsatsantsa’s defence.
SuperSport came out in the second stanza determined not to sit back with Bradley Grobler proving to be a thorn in the flesh of the Chippa United defenders.
Aware that his strikers were firing blanks, Larsen made two replacements, bringing on substitutes Lerato Manzini and Mark Mayambela.
The pair got into the thick of things but could not prise open the resolute SuperSport defence.
With Gamildien and Rakhale also joining the attack, an equaliser kept eluding the Port Elizabeth-based professional football outfit.
Aubrey Modiba was looking dangerous as he was supplying Mokoena with good balls.
In the 87th minute the Chili Boys missed an opportunity to find an equaliser.
And, in the referee’s optional time of five minutes, Manzini could have scored when he received the ball inside the box but Williams managed to get to the ball before the striker could...