Sponsorship news: Greyton Roses grab first home win of the season

Greyton Roses recorded their first home win of the 2024-25 HollywoodBets Overberg Regional League season in a drama-filled encounter at Uitkyk Primary School on Saturday.

After a hard-fought goalless draw with Arsenal FC last time out, the Roses secured a well-deserved 2-1 victory at home.

Sport News Blitz is here with the match report.

Summary

Gansbaai City opened the scoring with an absolute rocket of a goal from overlapping right-back Xolisani Delibomi on eight minutes, leaving Roses goalkeeper Masizakhe Mayataza with no chance.

Returning midfielder Thabiso Mangana restored parity for Greyton from the penalty spot on 28 minutes after a handball in the area before new captain Francisco Kandiado slotted home the winner from close range after a Mangana corner with 73 minutes on the clock.

As a result of the victory, Greyton Roses move up to sixth place on the league standings with seven points from seven games.

Referee troubles plague first half

Having already seen one game abandoned this season after the referee failed to arrive at the venue, there were doubts over this tie with no official in sight at kick-off.

Head coach Jeff Oliver ultimately drove 30 kilometres to retrieve the official, at his hiking spot, where he had been unsuccessful in hailing a ride.

Despite the game starting over an hour late, both teams expressed their attacking intent from the off, with Mayataza called into action after 12 minutes with an incredible close-range save after the ball dropped to City striker Aphiwe Phalamashe inside the area.

While Mangana was making strides down the right flank, his opposite number on the left, Lusanda Gobile, was also influential, and came close to an opener with 18 minutes on the clock after being played in by striker Fabian Steyn, only to delay on the ball and allow Delibomi to get back to clear.

Mangana continued to threaten and was unceremoniously elbowed in the back of the head inside the penalty box moments later, but the referee inexplicably waved play on.

Kandiado was next in with a chance that he fired wide on 24 minutes while a semi-dazed Mangana was unlucky not to hit the target after controlling a high ball off his chest and acrobatically volleying just wide.

The call by the referee to book centre-back Talent Ncube, for time-wasting in the first half, as he attempted to take a quick throw-in, only to concede the ball to the designated thrower, was an interesting decision, that he also repeated in the second half after the Roses were in the lead.

It was something of a relief then when he awarded a penalty for hand-ball by midfielder Alive Gelem that Mangana buried in the bottom left-hand corner of the net.

Second half sees hosts home

There was little for Oliver to say at half-time, with the Roses looking threatening in attack, and calm in defence, with Myataza dictating the movement of the backline and Ncube winning his headers alongside fellow central defender Sherwin Latier.

Kandiado also managed to find an extra gear and dominated the ball in the final third with some superb link-up play with fellow central midfielders Sanele Shabane and Luxolo Schulu.

And he got the goal his play deserved as he reacted quickest to a low corner from Mangana from the left-hand side to poke the ball home past a despairing Lucas Mapasa and into the City goal.

But not before Oliver was sent off for two yellows, following his protestations over some more questionable decisions as the free-kick count started to stack up against the home team.

There were ultimately a few nervy moments as a tiring Roses looked to secure the result, but Mayataza made light work of a number of late long balls into the box.

He also set up both Steyn and Gobile to run through on goal with his pinpoint distribution, but both times City stopper Mapasa was equal to their efforts.

Following a massive 10 extra minutes of action at the end of the game, the final whistle eventually rang out amid cheers from the Roses players and visible disgust from the visiting team, who vented their anger by booting one of our balls out of the ground,

The Roses were supposed to be in action against International FC this coming weekend but the league decided to start the December holidays two weeks early, so the team is next in action away to an in-form Blackpool in Caledon on January 25, 2025.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all!

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