Mamelodi Sundowns kept the pace with Orlando Pirates a 2-1 win over Golden Arrows playing more than half an hour with ten men in their Betway Premiership clash at Loftus Versfeld on Wednesday evening.
Sundowns and Arrows went pound for pound in the opening stages, much like the reverse fixture in KZN where they inflicted Sundowns first defeat of the season as Sede Dion scored the only goal of the game.
But there was more element of control from Miguel Cardoso’s men this time around and after some fabulous one-touch football, Teboho Mokoena was on the end of the move to smash home the ball in the bottom corner of Thakasani Mbanjwa’s net.
They took the lead into the break and just two minutes after resuming the game in the second half, Rayners bagged his ninth league goal of the season with a first time header from a pin-point Arthur Sales cross.
But Sundowns were made to reshuffle their midfield shortly after when Jayden Adams received a straight red card for a horror tackle of Ayabulela Maxwele that rolled his ankle.
Sales was hauled off immediately to make way for Marcelo Allende, in order to bring stability to the Sundowns midfield alongside the tireless Mokoena, while Nuno Santos, Tashreeq Matthew and Rayners made a front three attack.
And just five minutes later they had the ball in the net for the third time when Iqraam Rayners deflected Nuno Santos shot into the net – before it was incorrectly ruled out for off-side.
Arrows eventually pulled one back via the penalty spot with Sede Junior Dion, top scorer of the league, reaching 10 goals after slotting the ball past Ronwen Williams.
The win keeps Sundowns in second by one goal difference point, with both sides on 44 points after the Buccaneers beat Polokwane City 2-1 at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium in the simultaneous kickoff.
