Cape Town Spurs have stretched their lead at the top of the Premier Soccer League promotion-relegation playoffs mini-table after beating Casric Stars 1-0 at the Athlone Stadium on Wednesday.
The home side started the game with intent, as they created several chances with veteran midfielder Michael Morton seeing two of his attempts go over the post.
Striker Ashley Cupido came the closest to breaking the deadlock, after his header was cleared off the line at close range by defender Zebulon Mtshweni after Therlo Moosa’s effort struck the post.
The Urban Warriors kept on knocking on the door, but a stubborn Casric defense kept them at bay to go into half-time goalless.
Coach Shaun Bartlett’s charges picked up from where they left off in the first half, as they kept on pushing forward in search of an opener.
Spurs were reduced to ten men in the 65th minute after Cupido was shown a straight red card and given marching orders by referee Michael Mosemeng, after reacting violently to a foul against him.
The red card meant that the home side had to dig deep in getting a positive result, and their resilience finally paid off in the 73rd minute when midfielder Morne Nel fired a shot from on the edge of the box, in what was first goal of the season.
The visitors almost got their equaliser in the dying minutes of the game when defender Ngoanamello Rammala made a good overlapping run and forced a brilliant save from goalkeeper Lincoln Vyver, a shot which was heading for the bottom corner.
It was an emotional ending for Bartlett and his side, after shot stopper Vyver pulled an acrobatic save in stoppage time after a long-range effort from substitute Given Thibedi.
Casric suffered their third defeat in a row and will host Maritzburg United in their final game at the Solomon Mahlangu Stadium on Saturday.
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