10-man Sundowns see off Arrows

Jayden Adams was dismissed early in the second half for a dangerous tackle on Ayabulela Maxwele.

10-man Mamelodi Sundowns withstood a spirited late surge from Golden Arrows to secure a 2-1 victory in their Betway Premiership clash at Loftus Versfeld on Wednesday night.

Jayden Adams was dismissed early in the second half for a dangerous tackle on Ayabulela Maxwele, forcing the hosts to dig deep. Before the sending-off, Teboho Mokoena and Iqraam Rayners had fired the Brazilians into a commanding 2-0 lead, putting them firmly in control.

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However, Junior Dion’s strike 13 minutes from time halved the deficit for Abafana Bes’thende and set up a nervy finale in Tshwane.

The result sees Sundowns remain level on 44 points with log leaders Orlando Pirates, though they trail on goal difference.

The Buccaneers secured a hard-fought 2-1 win over Polokwane City to retain their place at the summit with 11 league matches remaining. Sundowns asserted their dominance from the outset and were rewarded in the 28th minute.

Crisp and intricate interplay between Khuliso Mudau and Aubrey Modiba carved open the Arrows defence, with Modiba’s clever backheel teeing up Mokoena, who rifled a powerful low drive into the bottom corner from the edge of the area.

Arrows failed to register a single shot on target in a one-sided first half, as the hosts dictated the tempo with authority and that superiority continued after the interval. Just three minutes into the second half, Rayners doubled Sundowns’ advantage, rising to head home after latching onto a superb lofted pass from Arthur Sales.

At that stage, the reigning champions appeared to be cruising. Yet the complexion of the contest shifted dramatically four minutes later when Adams was shown a straight red card for a studs-up challenge on Maxwele. The midfielder mistimed his tackle and caught his opponent on the ankle, leaving referee Siyabulela Qunta with little choice but to brandish the red.

Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso responded swiftly, introducing Marcelo Allende in place of Sales to shore up midfield and preserve control. The adjustment proved effective as the hosts continued to manage proceedings despite their numerical disadvantage.

However, with 15 minutes remaining, Arrows were handed a lifeline when Qunta pointed to the spot after Mudau was adjudged to have handled inside the area. Dion made no mistake from 12 yards, sending Ronwen Williams the wrong way to reduce the arrears and ignite hopes of a comeback.

Buoyed by their one-man advantage, Arrows pressed relentlessly for an equaliser in the closing stages. Nevertheless, Sundowns displayed resilience and composure to see out the contest and claim maximum points.

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The victory also served as redemption for the Tshwane giants, who suffered a shock 1-0 defeat to Arrows in the reverse fixture, a match in which Dion netted the decisive goal to inflict their only league loss of the campaign.