When the Clifton College and St Charles College 1st football teams met at the Riverside Sports Club on Saturday, they had an additional challenge besides the stiff one posed by their opponents. A strong wind coming in off the Indian Ocean made for a somewhat scrappy game, but there was no shortage of effort and excitement.
Saints, playing against the wind in the first half, made a solid start, controlling most of the possession, but when Clifton launched their first attack of the contest they were immediately rewarded. As striker Wandile Ngubane charged into the box, he was brought down and the referee pointed to the spot.
Up stepped Jared Pearson and, with the strong wind at his back, he sent a scorching missile of a shot into the back of the net to give the home team a 1-0 lead.
A short while later, there was further drama. When Clifton sent a long through ball deep into the St Charles’ half, the Saints’ goalkeeper picked it up outside his box. The referee decided that move had prevented a goal-scoring opportunity and he reached into his pocket for a red card.
From the resulting free kick, the replacement ‘keeper had his gloves stung by another rasping shot. The ball rebounded back towards Clifton’s forwards. After a scramble, they bundled the ball across the line. The ref’s whistle brought the celebrations to a quick halt, however, as he pulled out a yellow card and awarded a free kick to Saints.
In the second half, Clifton pressed hard for a second goal, but they were kept at bay by a combination of St Charles defending well in numbers and the hard-to-counter wind. Throughout the contest, many balls arced off towards the clubhouse on the side of the field, pushed there by the wind.
Then, with the game into its last 10 minutes, Saints made the wind work for them when they, too, were awarded a penalty. Suan Sithole sent the goalkeeper the wrong way and it was 1-1. That’s how the game ended.
Evan Murray shone for the Durban school in defence, frequently breaking up attacks and distributing the ball well while also being unafraid to directly challenge the Saints’ defenders. Cristiano Teixeira was solid in the midfield, while Wandile Ngubane posed problems for Saints with his pace.
The standout for St Charles was their right back, Lizola Makazole. He was unspectacular, but his swift decision-making and quick passing was an ideal antidote to the challenging conditions. Oftentimes the simple approach is the best approach.
Competition between the top teams was extremely tight. The 1st XI, u16A and u15A matches all finished 1-1. Clifton edged out St Charles 2-1 in the u14A clash.
Overall, it was Saints’ day, with nine wins to Clifton’s three, while five matches ended in draws.
RESULTS
1st: Clifton 1-1 St Charles
2nd: Clifton 1-2 St Charles
3rd: Clifton 1-1 St Charles
4th: Clifton 3-4 St Charles
16A: Clifton 1-1 St Charles
16B: Clifton 2-6 St Charles
16C: Clifton 0-4 St Charles
16D: Clifton 2-2 St Charles
15A: Clifton 1-1 St Charles
15B: Clifton 1-0 St Charles
15C: Clifton 0-8 St Charles
15D: Clifton 2-0 St Charles
14A: Clifton 2-1 St Charles
14B: Clifton 0-3 St Charles
14C: Clifton 0-2 St Charles
14D: Clifton 0-7 St Charles
14E: Clifton 1-3 St Charles
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