Despite having a number of scoring chances, Gallants settle for a goalless draw with the AmaZulu
With a goalless draw against AmaZulu on Wednesday at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane, Marumo Gallants were able to move up the Premiership standings.
With 11 matches completed, Gallants had drawn seven times this year—the most of any Premiership team. AmaZulu are now in eighth place in the rankings, while Gallants moved up one spot to fifteenth.
The Limpopo-based team were satisfied to absorb the pressure after a lively start by visiting AmaZulu, but they began to exert themselves on the game in the tenth minute.
Due to the Gallants’ penetrative build-up play, the remainder of the first half was played nearly exclusively in the AmaZulu half. They relished so many final-third submissions without actually producing possibilities for goals. Five of the seven shots they swung towards the goal were successful.
The AmaZulu goalkeeper Veli Mothwa had to be alert to clear many dangerous crosses from the goalmouth. On the verge of halftime, when Gallants pressure was at its height, his supporting defence also provided strong defence, and they cleared one AmaZulu attempt off the goal line.
The AmaZulu team was a ghostly shell of the one that held Kaizer Chiefs to a goalless draw in the MTN8 semi-final last weekend. The squad appeared flat and sat back for the majority of the first half, while Gallants made all of the plays.
Gallants continued to move the ball in the second half, creating space for attackers to rush aggressively at the AmaZulu defence.
The game was calling out for a goal as the second half progressed, but Gallants came closest, having a second chance pushed off the goalline 14 minutes from the finish when goalie Mothwa was caught out of position.
