Tswhanelo Pitso of Orbit College challenged by Bongani Mthembu of Durban City during Betway Premiership match at Chatsworth Stadium on Friday night.
Image: BackpagePix
Durban City - 1
Orbit College - 1
It's not been four straight games since Durban City banked three points with their Top 8 season finish hopes fading slowly after Friday nights 1-1 draw against Orbit College. At no point in the last two games did City look fully in control, despite playing the bottom two teams in the league.
Orbit's Gomolemo Khoto scored the opening goal for on Friday night with a sweet goal in the top right corner to beat Darren Keet in the 19th minute.
City started off the cold and wet encounter chasing the game heavily in their own territory. Hashim Domingo cut through some space shortly after to get a confident shot on target for Durban.
Their response to the goal seemed fairly positive, but the bench looked shaken. Both Pitso Dladla and Rowan Fernandes were seen directing players at once, a worrying sight for the leadership structure at the moment.
Durban looked much more alive after the Orbit College, with Samkelo Maseko finding heaps of space down the left wing.
Young Brooklyn Poggenpoel had a fantastic first half in the midfield, controlling a lot of flow from the back to flank Orbit. Orbit almost countered at the dead last minute of the first half after Durban messed up a set piece.
Jean Lubumba once again equalised for Durban with a brilliant header into the top corner shortly after the reset. Three goals in two matches for the number 20.
Maseko almost put them 2-1 up but the keeper stopped his shot. Durban immediately ramped up the pressure with two consecutive shots on target. Durban surprisingly substituted Lubumba but after his performance it's likely they want to save him for the Nedbank Cup finals.
Durban couldn't get the final breakthrough they needed to close off the game with three points and had to split the spoils with Orbit, giving them hope of staying in the PSL.
Jehran Naidoo is sports reporter for Independent Media and social media coordinator of the our YouTube channel The Clutch.