Sekhukhune United show championship credentials with late winner against Arrows

Champions are made of such ilk ...

Sekhukhune United illustrated the character, fighting spirit and never-say-die attitude that define title-winning sides when they snatched victory against Golden Arrows with virtually the last action of the match — a game that had a draw written all over it.

Bradley Grobler headed in the winner in the 93rd minute of a Betway Premiership clash that looked set for a goalless stalemate at the Peter Mokaba Stadium, ensuring Sekhukhune remain unbeaten and top of the table.

Eric Tinkler’s men now sit on 19 points after seven matches, four clear of champions Mamelodi Sundowns, who had played the same number of games prior to their clash with Durban City.

Visiting coach Manqoba Mngqithi appeared resigned to a draw and even brought on a defender to close things out. But he should have known better with Grobler still on the pitch. The veteran striker, who bagged a brace in midweek as Sekhukhune ended Kaizer Chiefs’ winless run, is fast closing in on the PSL’s all-time scoring record held by Peter Shalulile.

Yet personal accolades — and successive man-of-the-match awards — mean little to the son of Moroka Swallows legend Les. His focus is firmly on guiding Sekhukhune to their maiden elite-league silverware, and he is doing a fine job of steering them towards that goal.

Granted, it is far too early in the season to be talking titles. Still, a start of this calibre can only strengthen belief and confidence that Sekhukhune might yet halt Sundowns’ bid for a ninth successive crown.

Saturday’s game was always one they could win, coming against an Arrows side long bereft of success on the road, and fresh from defeat by Polokwane City at the stadium across the road in midweek.

Sekhukhune started the brighter and carved out the first chance, Grobler stabbing wide after Mncube had nodded a long ball into his path. But that was all she wrote in the first stanza, as Arrows gradually took charge without ever seriously troubling the home goal.

Early in the second half, Grobler had a chance reminiscent of his strike against Chiefs, but he couldn’t stretch far enough to connect with a Shaun Mogaila cross from the right.

The match see-sawed, devoid of clear opportunities, and it looked destined to drift into a goalless draw. But the introduction of Keletso Makgalwa injected fresh urgency, lifting both Tinkler and the small but noisy home support.

When the goal finally came, it wasn’t from a slick attack but from a laboured passing move that looked more like time-wasting. The ball was shifted slowly from the middle to the right, until Mogaila suddenly shifted gears, accelerated down the flank and whipped in a cross. Grobler darted between two markers and powered a header past the helpless Thakasani Mbanjwa, who grasped only thin air.

Tinkler’s delight on the bench knew no bounds. His counterpart Mngqithi stood shell-shocked, lamenting a two-match trip to Limpopo that had yielded nothing.

Seven games in, unbeaten and top of the table. Few would have scripted such a start for Sekhukhune United, not a side readily associated with championships. But then again, such is the beauty — and unpredictability — of football. For teams with character, fight and refusal to yield, the rewards often come.