Sundowns hold off Galaxy to stay clear of rivals

Mamelodi Sundowns returned to winning ways with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over TS Galaxy in a Betway Premiership clash at Loftus Versfeld on Wednesday night.

Sundowns’ Sales proves decisive

Substitute Arthur Sales came off the bench to score the decisive goal as the Brazilians claimed all three points in a scrappy encounter that lacked quality for long spells.

The result was a welcome relief for coach Miguel Cardoso after his side were held to a 1-1 draw by Orlando Pirates at the same venue last weekend.

Galaxy will be left to rue several missed chances, particularly in the first half when they looked the more threatening side. The Rockets carved out a few clear openings but were let down by poor finishing and the sharp reflexes of Ronwen Williams, who pulled off crucial saves to keep his side in the game. 

Sundowns’ usually solid defence looked shaky at times and was frequently troubled by balls played over the top, a tactic that unsettled them but failed to yield a breakthrough for the visitors.

The hosts had their moments in the opening 45 minutes, with Peter Shalulile firing just wide after a neat lay-off from Aubrey Modiba. Back from suspension, Teboho Mokoena forced a fine save from Galaxy goalkeeper Ira Tapé with a thunderous long-range effort on the stroke of half-time.

Galaxy offside

Moments earlier, Mory Keita thought he had given Galaxy the lead, only for his goal to be ruled out for offside. Sundowns also felt hard done by when Shalulile had the ball in the back of the net, but the referee had already blown. 

Sundowns managed the game well after taking the lead, keeping possession to run down the clock. It was far from a vintage display from the Tshwane giants, but in the end, they got the job done to strengthen their slender lead at the top of the Premiership table.

Sundowns will remain top of the log standings heading into the international FIFA break with 25 points after 12 matches. Orlando Pirates are three points behind with two matches in hand after they recorded a 3-1 win over Golden Arrows.