Pa Dembo’s Santos relegated from PSL

Despite Eleazar Rodgers being handed a penalty in the final minutes, Chippa United continued their dream year when they killed off Pa Dembo Touray’s Santos 4-3, at the Philippi Stadium, to secure promotion into next year’s ABSA Premiership.

Chippa were on the attack early on and nearly scored in the fourth minute but gigantic Pa Dembo parried the ball out for a corner. Chippa took the lead in the tenth minute when they capitalized on some hesitation in the Santos backline.

Ntshingila put in a superb cross on the right flank that went across the Santos defenders and Dlamini tapped home from close range to make it 1-0.Santos’ defence left a gapping hole, which saw Chippa cross into the box but Pa Dembo fluffed an easy save.

All that was left was for Twala to poke it in at close range. Being two goals down finally caused some reaction from Santos when Eleazar Rodgers pulled one back with a looping header two minutes later.

The goal changed the whole dimension of the game for Santos as they took hold of the majority of the territorial possession. The possession paid off for Santos when their skipper Tyren Arendse struck home a volley in the 40th minute.

Mfundo Shumana came on in place of McDonald Ntshingila at the start of the second half, while worry struck early in the half when Arendse had to be stretchered off for a knock to his neck. The captain did manage to continue, while Santos poked at Chippa’s door when Erwin Isaacs flung a curler into the hands of Goldman.

Five minutes after the hour mark Barends let rip with a shot from 25-yards-out but it blasted against the Chippa defence, before Chippa shot into the side netting of Pa Dembo’s goal. On the 70th minute Rodgers became the first player to be booked in the game, while Riaan Eugene came on for Cheslyn Jampies.

Wayne Arendse was also shown yellow for a hand ball just two minutes later, before Nasief Morris made a suicidal mistake when he headed the ball back to his ‘keeper. Unknown to his knowledge, Twala was lurking behind him and he latched onto the stray ball to lob it over the onrushing Gambian and into the back of the net.

Santos’ rich history was washed down the drain quickly when the scoreline became 4-1 with just nine minutes remaining. Shumana jumped the offside trap and put in a cross to secure their position in next season’s ABSA Premiership.

Pa Dembo Touray’s Santos were handed a consolation goal, two minutes from time, when Rodgers stood up to take a penalty. The striker missed his initial shot from the spot thanks to a sublime save from Goldman, but the rebound fell kindly to Rodgers who made it 4-3.