Mark Ward
Safa Cape Town’ flagship competition is reaching its business end with squads from across the city battling for their spot in the last round of 16.
Grassy Park-based Montague Spurs gave a sterling performance in a senior fixture against Liverpool Portland, to inspire hope that this southern suburbs based side is making a serious bid for Coke Cup honours.
Spurs emerged 2-0 winners over Liverpool Portland in an emotionally charged round of 32 encounter which, at times reached boiling point, with some argy-barging threatening the abandonment of the match way before half-time at the Rooikrans sports ground in Ninth Avenue, Grassy Park, on Sunday.
Referee Ryan New kept his cool, giving time for emotions to subside before resuming the match after a seven-minute cool-down period. He, however, red-carded Portland’s Keenan van der Merwe for his involvement in an unsavoury incident which ignited the ensuing scuffles. Play resumed with no further incidents with both teams going hard and fast into tackles while play swung from one goal area to the other.
But in the end, it was Chad Williams and Imtiyaaz Arend’s second half strikes which booked the lads from the Cape District LFA’s place among the Top 16 teams in Safa Cape Town’s premier competition.
Munzir Dalvie, coach of Spurs, says he is mindful of the battles which still awaits them in the next round, but feels his players have the right temperament to help the club achieve their first major regional success.
“The Coke Cup is one of the goals which we have set down to achieve this season. Reaching the last 16 is already a milestone for us. I draw lots of encouragement from this performance for which I am incredibly pleased. I must however just add, we still have a local LFA Super League competition for which we are still in contention. Winning the league is another big one for us. We are currently in fourth place on the log,” he said.
“The match against Liverpool was very physical and hard. We also defended well. I am glad we came through this one and we now prepare for the next round,” said Dalvie.
In other action, Hanover Park FC club chairperson, Riedewaan Anthony, occupied the coaching hot seat on the sidelines at the Rooikrans A- field to guide the former champions to a 3-1 win against Parkwood’s Azzurri.
Anthony and his co-coaches had endured a spirited fightback from Azzurri where former Battswood star player Colin Atkins was the calling shots.
While the Brasse Vannie Park, as Hanover Park are affectionately known, were 2-0 up, Saeed Adriaanse netted with seven minutes to go to reduce the deficit. But this fightback was too late with strikes from Safwan Hendricks, Lionel Saal and star performing midfielder Peter Adams just enough to send the Brasse through the next round.
Results:
Saxon Rover 5 Bellstar United 4; Lion City 3 Barmsley Spurs 1; Salt River Blackpool 1 Electric City 0; Two for Joy 4 Silver City 2; FC Tafelzucht 5 U & I Makhaza 4; Young Pirates 7 Bellville United 3; Vasco da Gama 4 City Rose 0; Fast XI 1 Hazendal 0, FC Salvo 5 Edgemead 4; Goulburn 6 Golden Gate 2; Only the Brave 4 Everton 3; Young Idols 4 Blue Downs Spurs 0; Bishop Lavis 3 Beacon Spurs 1
