AmaZulu attacker Hendrick Ekstein scored the winner in their KwaZulu-Natal derby against Richards Bay.
Image: Backpagepix
AmaZulu ended their four-match winless run in the league with a 2-1 victory over Richards Bay at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday night.
It was an electric first half of football as AmaZulu started brightly against Richards Bay. Usuthu looked determined early on and were rewarded with a free kick just after the 20-minute mark. Thabiso Kutumela stepped up and delivered in style, curling a superb effort that grazed the top right corner before finding the back of the net.
The Natal Rich Boyz refused to sit back and gradually worked their way into the game as the half progressed. Ronnie Gabriel's men finally found an equaliser in the 41st minute, although it came more as a gift from AmaZulu than through crafted attacking play.
Usuthu's defence was caught sleeping as Sanele Barns slipped between the centre-backs to head home and level the score before halftime.
The opening ten minutes of the second half were scrappy, with both sides struggling to recreate the rhythm and tempo of the first period. Richards Bay began to dominate possession, particularly down both wings, but struggled to penetrate through the middle of the pitch.
Their main attacking outlet became pushing the ball wide before sending crosses into the box. Despite controlling large parts of the second half, Richards Bay lacked the creativity to produce clear-cut chances.
Both teams frequently lost possession after attempting ambitious forward passes, rarely managing to string together more than a handful of passes. AmaZulu, meanwhile, looked far from a side competing in the top half of the table and found it difficult to play their way out of their own half during the second period.
The overall quality of the game dipped as time went on, with fatigue seemingly playing a role. But AmaZulu opted to bring in fresh legs that brought some new energy to the game. However, the decisive moment arrived in the 82nd minute when Hendrick Ekstein made an explosive run to give AmaZulu the lead.