Saziso Magawana of Durban City challenged by Ismael Cisse of Golden Arrows during the Betway Premiership match at the King Zwelithini Stadium in Umlazi on Saturday.
Image: BackpagePix
Lamontville Golden Arrows (1) 1
Durban City (0) 0
LAMONTVILLE Golden Arrows stamped their authority on the KwaZulu-Natal derby with a commanding display, punishing Durban City’s costly error to secure a deserved 1-0 victory. Arrows could have easily won the game 4-0 had it not been for the heroics of Darren Keet in the nets for City.
Arrows wasted no time asserting control, dominating the opening 10 minutes with slick passing and relentless forward movement.
Durban City’s midfield struggled to cope with the tempo, often reduced to chasing shadows as the home side dictated play. At the heart of Arrows’ early dominance was Isaac Cissé, who looked sharp and dangerous from the outset.
Cissé nearly opened the scoring in the 11th minute after carving out the game’s first clear chance, but Arrows failed to capitalise.
Moments later, Durban were nearly punished for sloppy play at the back, with Kyle Jurgens put under heavy pressure just outside his box.
Durban’s defensive unit, missing the usual partnership of Siphamandla Ncanana and Mfanafuthi Mkhize, appeared unsettled. They repeatedly lost possession in dangerous areas, inviting wave after wave of Arrows pressure.
Their first real attempt came in the 19th minute, but it posed little threat to Edward Maova. As the half-hour mark approached, Durban began to settle, enjoying more possession and pushing into Arrows’ half.
However, just as they seemed to be finding rhythm, another defensive lapse proved costly. Cissé pounced, finishing clinically from a Gasa cross to give Arrows a deserved lead.
The forward nearly doubled his tally before the break, his effort narrowly missing the target as Arrows continued to look the more threatening side. Durban emerged with renewed intent in the second half, immediately pushing Arrows onto the back foot.
They came close to equalising in the 58th minute with a move that mirrored Arrows’ opener, but the final touch let them down. Despite Durban’s improved showing, Arrows remained dangerous on the counter.
Substitute Sabelo Sithole nearly made an instant impact, twice coming close after defensive lapses from Durban.
In the closing stages, Nhlanhla Zwane took control, tormenting Durban’s defence with flair and creativity. He came agonisingly close to extending the lead, only to be denied by a series of excellent saves from Darren Keet, who kept Durban’s hopes alive.
However, the late surge only highlighted what could have been. Arrows could easily have put the game beyond doubt, while Durban ultimately reverted to their earlier struggles, conceding possession cheaply in dangerous areas.
In the end, Arrows’ clinical edge and midfield dominance proved decisive, as they claimed bragging rights in the KZN derby and took home a much needed 3 points.
Jehran Naidoo is sports reporter for Independent Media and social media coordinator of the our YouTube channel The Clutch.