Mivuyo Lwana scored a brace to help Selborne College record a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Stirling High School in KuGompo City on Friday night.
The forward, who has featured frequently on Selborne’s score sheet throughout the season, netted his first goal late in the opening chukka before sealing the win in the fourth quarter.
With the win, Selborne ended the second term on a high, maintaining their unbeaten record in the Eastern Cape after a relatively slow start to their campaign, which saw them suffer close defeats during pre-season festivals.
Leading up to the game, Selborne, guided by coach KJ Friend, had beaten Cambridge High 5-0, St Andrew’s College 3-2, and Dale College 6-1.
Stirling, meanwhile, claimed an impressive 4-0 victory over Hudson Park High a week ago and fancied their chances against an in-form Selborne outfit.
The visitors made a storming start to the game and put Selborne under immense pressure in the opening chukka. They enjoyed plenty of possession, moved the ball well, and asked questions of goalkeeper Brad Collins, who remained resolute at the back.
Despite having to absorb the early pressure, Selborne opened the scoring against the run of play with two minutes remaining in the chukka.
Adam de Lange pulled some strings in midfield and linked up with Lwana inside the circle, who had all the time in the world and pulled off a stupendous reverse stick shot to make it 1-0.
There was very little to separate the teams in the second chukka. Stirling kept applying pressure but lacked execution in the final third.
Their relentless efforts were finally rewarded early in the third quarter. After winning a short corner, their variation didn’t quite work out, but a ball slammed towards goal found Luniko Mbumba’s stick, and he flicked it past Collins to level matters.
That goal brought an immediate response out of Selborne, who upped the ante, showing more intent on attack as they chased another goal. It came, at last, in the final chukka.
After some nice build-up play from halfway, William Schaefer fired off a shot from the top of the D, and it deflected off Lwana’s stick and straight into the back of the net. That strike proved pivotal as Stirling was forced into playing catch-up for the remainder of the half.
They came close to equalising on numerous occasions. However, it wasn’t to be, and Selborne held on for the 2-1 win to secure yet another victory in the Border region.
In Makhanda, St Andrew’s College bounced back from their 2-3 loss to Kingswood College with a 5-2 win over Dale College.
Despite the defeat, it was a spirited performance from the visitors, for whom Solomon Qaku netted both goals.
Kingswood, meanwhile, couldn’t add to their K-Day victory and were stunned by Woodridge College, going down 2-3 in Thornhill.
Results:
Selborne College 2-1 Stirling High
St Andrew’s College 5-2 Dale College
Woodridge College 3-2
