Galaxy Slides Into Top Eight
Kabelo Boranabi | Monday January 24, 2022 16:00
The defending champions were on a rampant mood and recorded their second straight win. The home side were dealt an early injury blow as Fortune Thulare had to be replaced by Eric Tjizake after sustaining an injury during warm up. It was Majatlhaga who fired first through Kobamelo Kebaikanye on the eighth minute.
The visitors tried to recover from conceding early into the match with Thabang Sesinyi and Gilbert Baruti orchestrating the team's efforts. On the other end Kebaikanye and the match day skipper, Patrick Kaunda were giving the Galaxy defense a hard time. Despite the two teams efforts, the two goalkeepers were however untroubled until just before the halftime break and Sesinyi notched one after some good build up by his teammates.
A minute into the second half, Baruti tried a shot from outside the box but the goalkeeper was up to the task. Two minutes later, Wendell Rudath gave his side the lead as the slotted into the bottom corner after a good play by Lucky Mokoena. On the 54th minute, Gaamangwe Sethibe's long range effort was saved by the goalkeeper as Masitaoka searched for an equaliser.
Two minutes later, Itumeleng Salani was denied a debut goal as Anthony Gouws saved his effort. Gouws was again called into the action on the 58th minute and parried away Kebaikanye's powerful strike. Kebaikanye hit the the upright on the 64th minute and on the follow up Kaunda headed into the goalkeeper's hands. On the 70th minute, Kaunda was just inches wide of getting the equaliser.
Masitaoka were left exposed as substitute, Mpho Kgomo made it 3-0 with a tap in after a lay off by Baruti with three minutes to time. Galaxy bagged the maximum and moved into the seventh spot. "I was a bit worried about the second 45 minutes because I believe we needed to work really hard to get the equalizing goal and we started well in the second half. We managed to get an early goal," Galaxy's coach Morena Ramoreboli said after the game.
# Masitaoka's Nelson Olebile bemoaned lack of mental strength in his squad. "I was not happy how we conceded the third goal, you could see that our mental strength has been dented. I was shouting throughout the game and said let's mark the blind side and we did not," he said.
The Teams:
Masitaoka: Katlego Mbise, Condry Masire, Keaketswe Obonetse, Eric Tjizake, Oabile Makopo, Koketso Majafi, Itumeleng Salani (Kakanyo Kethubile), Olebogeng Ramotse (Bakang Tsholang), Kobamelo Kebaikanye (Ototeng Dintwa), Patrick Kaunda, Gaamangwe Sethibe
Galaxy: Anthony Gouws, Doctor David, Lesego Keredilwe, Thabo Leinanyane, Moagi Sechele, Gilbert Baruti (Thabang Mooketsi), Tshepang Boithatelo, Themba Dhlahla (Mphoyamodimo Keiponye), Lucky Mokoena (Tebogo Sembowa), Wendell Rudath (Mothusi Cooper), Thabang Sesinyi (Mpho Kgomo)
Masitaoka 1 (Kebaikanye eighth) Galaxy 3 (Sesinyi 45+2, Rudath 48th, Kgomo 87th)