Absa Premiership

 

Result: University of Pretoria 1-1 Free State Stars

 

Date: 20 April 2013

 

Venue:  Tuks Stadium

 

 

 

A goal in each half, one from Anver Esterhuizen in the first and Mame Niang in the second, saw the spoils shared in an Absa Premiership match at the Tuks Stadium on Saturday afternoon as the University of Pretoria and Free State Stars played to a 1-1 draw.

 

The home side certainly started the brighter of the two teams and played some nice passing football early on.

 

Only the brilliance of Kennedy Mweene in-between the Stars’ goal posts kept his side in the game in the seventh minute. Dipsy Selolwane let rip with a thunderbolt from 30-yards out, but the Ea Lla Koto produced a great full stretch save, diving to his right to deny him.

 

Tuks continued to dominate play, but were unable to fashion any real clear-cut chances on goal. Instead it was at the other end where we saw the opening goal of the match in the 29th minute.

 

In a rare foray forward Sihle Mpuqa provided a great cross into the box from the right and Anver Esterhuizen rose above his marker to powerfully head the ball home from 14-yards out, 1-0.

 

Despite going behind Tuks did not drop their heads and continued to press forward.

 

In the 38th minute Mame Niang came close to equalising for the home side when he met a deep cross from the right, but his 12-yard header went narrowly wide of the target with the keeper well beaten.

 

That was the last significant action of the half as it ended 1-0 in favour of the visitors.

 

The second 45 saw Tuks continue to pile on the pressure and they found their just rewarded in the 59th minute when Niang equalised for the home side.

 

The forward latched onto a long ball from the back and with just the keeper to beat he powerfully volleyed the ball beyond a desperate Mweene from 14-yards out, 1-1.

 

Neither side seemed to be able to break down the others defence thereafter, although with ten minutes to go Thokozani Sekotlong came bitterly close to finding the winner for Tuks with a 22-yard shot, but he saw his effort skim the wrong side of the crossbar.

 

Neither team could find the winner as the game ended 1-1.

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