Laffor Scores Twice
-As Supersport Goes Five Points Clear

SuperSport United extended their lead at the top of the Absa Premiership to five points with a hard-fought 3-2 defeat of Maritzburg United at a sodden Loftus Stadium in Pretoria on Saturday afternoon.

Anthony Laffor’s brace and a fine strike by Jabulani Maluleke saw Matsatsantsa pick up the three points on offer, while the Team of Choice, who had new coach Ernst Middnedorp in charge for the first time, scored their goals via Brice Aka and Rudolph Bester.

SuperSport created the first chance on goal in the ninth minute with Daine Klate’s close-range effort bravely blocked by Tashrique Goldman after Anthony Laffor had done brilliantly to pull a difficult ball back from the by-line.

Less than sixty seconds later Laffor created another opportunity for Klate with a curling cross to the right flank, but the winger tried an acrobatic volley that flew over the crossbar when a simple header probably would have brought him a goal.

On 26 minutes Emille Baron produced an outstanding reaction save, pushing away Rudolph Bester’s goal-bound shot after the ball had fallen kindly for the Namibian in the penalty area following a free kick for Maritzburg.

Jabu Maluleke should have put Matsatsantsa into the lead in the 32nd minute after meeting Laffor’s cross at the near post, but he stabbed his effort wide of goal from just a couple of metres out.

However, the former Black Leopards player more than made up for this when he swept home the opening goal just before half time to hand SuperSport a 1-0 lead.

The goal was created by Tsietsi Mahoa and Glen Salmon, with the former providing a long ball out of defence that was placed into Maluleke’s path with an expertly-cushioned header by the tall striker.

Nine minutes into the second half SuperSport went 2-0 up, with Laffor hammering a volley into the back of the net after Goldman had rushed off his line to try and punch clear a Mahoa cross only to miss the ball and allow the Liberian striker a clear sight of goal.

The home side appeared to be cruising to three points but with 20 minutes to play they lost concentration at the back and allowed substitute Brice Aka to turn home Bester’s cross and halve the deficit.

But Matsatsantsa are champions for a reason, and Laffor immediately restored their two-goal advantage with a well-placed low drive into the bottom corner that gave Goldman no chance.

Yet the KwaZulu-Natal team certainly didn’t give in, and Bester gave them hope of taking something out of the game when he scored a stunning long-range goal in the 81st minute.

The hosts, though, held firm at the back and did enough to see out the remainder of the game and claim victory.