The ABC Motsepe League title race took another dramatic twist on Friday night as Diadora FC marched into the William Herbert Sports Complex and handed Stream B leaders Grassy Park United a rare taste of defeat.
Marcelinho Stuurman fired Diadora ahead before the hosts restored parity from the penalty spot. But just when it appeared the points would be shared, veteran midfielder and chairman-player Shaheed Abrahams rose to the occasion, striking 10 minutes from time to silence the home crowd and seal a priceless 2-1 victory.
The result breathed fresh life into Diadora’s campaign. Although coach Zain Abrahams’ men remain 10 points behind the leaders, they have two games in hand and suddenly find themselves back in the conversation.
“We needed that,” Abrahams told No Bones with Jones. “The results haven’t gone our way, but the performances have always been there. I always felt a result like this was coming because we were losing games we shouldn’t have lost.
“We’ve been creating chances and playing good football, but we weren’t taking them. We’ve also been punished by costly mistakes from younger players who are still adapting to the league. That’s part of the process, but I always believed things would turn.”
Elsewhere, Dylan Deane’s One FC claimed a valuable three points in what many regarded as a proverbial six-pointer, defeating second-placed Batalions FC 2-1 at Parow Park on Friday.
Caleb Avontuur opened the scoring before Aqeel Hartzenberg doubled the hosts’ advantage after the interval.
Coach Gareth Ncaca’s Batalions managed to pull a goal back in the second half and piled on the pressure in search of an equaliser, but One FC showed tremendous resilience to weather the storm and emerge as deserved winners.
The victory keeps One FC firmly in the hunt near the summit of Stream B, while simultaneously denting Batalions’ hopes of keeping pace with the frontrunners in an increasingly competitive title race.
PHOTO SUPPLIED BY CONRAY SWAIL
Results courtesy of the 4TH MOMENT
