Highlands Park moved into the top 8 of the Absa Premiership after beating Cape Town City 1-0 at Dobsonville Stadium on Wednesday night.
A solitary strike from Peter Shalulile in the sixth minute handed Highlands their ninth win of the season to see them into eighth place with 38 points.
The loss for City leaves them rooted in seventh place with 39 points, three adrift of Maritzburg United who lost 1-0 to Pirates also on Wednesday.
It was a fast start to the game for Highlands with Shalulile breaking into the box and expertly turning his defender before firing home from close range to make it 1-0.
In the tenth minute City almost hit straight back when Thabo Nodada let fly from the edge of the box, but his stinging effort shaved the wrong side of the woodwork.
City continued to push forward after that, but the Highlands defence held up well under immense pressure, although the Cape Town club could have been more clinical in the final third.
Five minutes before the break Amethyst Ralani went on a mesmerizing run which saw him beat three defenders on his way into the box, but he was denied in a one-on-one with the Highlands keeper.
The half ended 1-0 in favour of the Lions from the North.
The second half was more of the same as Highlands sat back in defence and tried to protect their lead, which for the most part they looked comfortable doing as City wasted chance after chance in front of goal.
Fagrie Lakay posed the only real threat for the Cape Town club and came close to equalising in the 83rd minute when he let fly from the edge of the box, but Tapuwa Kapini was on hand again to make another fine save.
In the end City could not find an equalizer as Highlands held on for what can only be described as a scrappy three points.
Highlands (1) 1 (Shalulile 6’)
Cape Town City (0) 0
TEAMS
Highlands: Kapini, Munyai, Fransman, Mzava, Mbhele, Motlafi (Mokoena 69’), Nyatama, Makhaula, Rae, Mbatha (Ramagalela 46’), Shalulile.
City: Leeuwenburgh (Stephens 46’), Edmilson, Mobara, Fielies, Mkhize, Mdantsane (Roberts 46’), Mokeke, Nodada, Ralani, Morris, Lakay.©
SOURCED FROM THE PSL WEBSITE.
