Lincoln Vyver of Cape Town Spurs is challenged by Amadou Soukouna of Maritzburg United during their promotion/relegation play-off at Harry Gwala Stadium in Pietermaritzburg on Wednesday Lincoln Vyver of Cape Town Spurs is challenged by Amadou Soukouna of Maritzburg United during their promotion/relegation play-off at Harry Gwala Stadium in Pietermaritzburg on Wednesday. Photo: Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix
Pietermaritzburg — Cape Town Spurs gained promotion to the DStv Premiership as they held Maritzburg United to a goalless stalemate at the Harry Gwala Stadium in Pietermaritzburg on Wednesday evening.
The Urban Warriors needed to avoid defeat and duly obliged as they ensured they finished their promotion/relegation play-offs having not conceded a single goal.
For the Team of Choice, their 15-year stay in the top flight came to a disappointing end as they followed Marumo Gallants into the Motsepe Foundation Championship.
The pressure of needing a win to ensure safety seemed to play on the Maritzburg strategy as head coach Fadlu Davids set up his side in an ultra-attacking formation.
The hosts lined up in a 4-3-3 with the in-form Rowan Human partnering Karim Kimvuidi and Genino Palace in the middle of the park.
On the other side, Coach Shaun Bartlett’s boys unsurprisingly opted for a more reserved 4-5-1, the only change being strikers Cohen Stander for Ashley Cupido who was suspended.
The opening quarter of an hour saw a very cagey exchange between the two sides as the permutations of any result seemed to weigh heavy on both teams.
With a tense and evenly matched first 45 minutes gone, the visitors almost got themselves an important goal through midfielder Therlo Moosa.
The 28-year-old got his head on a dangerous long throw into the box but executed poorly as he glanced his header just wide of Renaldo Leaner’s goal.
As the near-capacity crowd would've expected, the hosts ran out of the blocks quickest as they sought to grab the opening goal and were almost rewarded in the 47th minute.
The right side of Brandon Theron and Amadou combined to deliver a cross into the far post but Bradley Cross arriving late got under the ball and glanced over.
The time on the clock demanded structural and personal changes and the Maritzburg bench threw on attackers Ali Meza and Friday Samu who made an immediate contribution to the game’s tempo.
Samu, however, was guilty of wasting Maritzburg’s best chance in the 68th minute.
The Zimbabwe international was played over the top by Kimvuidi but he failed to get the ball under his control and bundled it over for a goal kick
Tried as they might, the Team of Choice could not break down a resilient Spurs defence, sealing their fate as they drop down to the second division.
IOL Sport