Westville started the game fairly well, trying to keep the ball on the ground to avoid the strong winds that made the aerial game difficult to handle. They began to assert themselves ten minutes into the game and bombarded the College box with cross after cross, applying intense pressure on their opponent’s defence. College opted to try and catch Westville on the break, but the home team did well to quash any counter attacks, and their continuous pressure finally paid off in the 26th minute, when a cross by Shane Ball was headed out of the College box, but the cleared ball found Westville’s Mpilo Shange, who rocketed home a rasping volley from fully thirty metres, for a cracking opening goal. Two minutes later Westville conceded a very soft goal from a long throw-in, to make the scores 1-1. College then went on to take the lead in the 30th minute when a good diagonal ball was played to their left wing. College were up 2-1 at the break.
Westville came out the blocks hard in the second half and equalised in the 33rd minute – their striker Tony Mahlangu nicked the ball from a College defender, before slotting the ball into the bottom right corner of the College goal to level the scores 2-2. Westville kept their shape very well in the second half and remained disciplined on defence, dominating most of the play. Towards the end of the game, both teams had chances to win but they lacked composure in front of the goals. Westville were granted a penalty in the 58th minute when Westville striker Tony Mahlangu was tripped inside the College box. Kyan Braithwaite stepped up and confidently hammered the ball into the bottom left corner to make the score 3-2, which is how it ended.
It was a gutsy performance from Westville who had to dig deep for victory. Westville’s biggest strength was that they maintained their structure better than College did and that brought them the win.