JOHANNESBURG – Cape Town City’s three-match league winning streak came to an abrupt halt when they lost 2-0 to Highlands Park at the Makhulong Stadium in Tembisa on Saturday.
The Citizens appeared to have ended their struggles on the road midweek after they fended off Polokwane City, but were unable to repeat the process against the Lions of the North as they saw their winning streak come to an end.
The home side made the first move calling Peter Leeuwenburgh into action as he denied Denzil Haoseb the game’s opener in just the fifth minute.
Teko Modise was then able to get his side on the ball more frequently, before Roland Putsche’s speculative effort from range flew over Marlon Heugh on the Highlands goal-line.
Benni McCarthy’s side then grew in ascendancy, but goal-scoring chances were few and far between.
In the 38th minute, Ayanda Patosi shot straight at Heugh as the half fizzled into the break.
Shortly after the break, Patosi was withdrawn with Craig Martin called into the action. Five minutes into the second stanza, and it was the hosts who went ahead as Peter Shalulile got on the end of Lindokuhle Mbatha’s cross.
The goal allowed Allan Freese’s side to continue with their defend-and-counter-attack approach, and they were doing a fine job as time ticked away without threat to Heugh’s goal.
As the match entered the final 15 minutes, both Thami Mkhize and Putsche were unable to guide their efforts on target as expectations grew of a much-needed home win in Tembisa.
Six minutes before time, substitute Tendai Ndoro, the former Kaizer Chiefs and Ajax Cape Town, ensured the points as he finished off neatly to confirm the Cape side’s woes.
The win moves Highlands Park to within a point of City on the log as both sides sit just outside the top eight.