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How Aces lost this game is anyone’s guess especially after going into the halftime break 2-nil up and in total control of the game. Valencia hit back hard in the second half by scoring 4 unanswered goals before Aces got their third in referee’s optional time.
With Aces number one and two keepers out injured, Sakala started recalled keeper Clinton Davids and gave a bench for the Alex Black Aces U17 Academy keeper, Alexis Apollonatos. Also pleasing to see was the Aces U19 Academy central defender Bradley Cross also receiving a call-up up to the Aces bench.
The evergreen Collen Zimba put Aces in the lead in the 15th minute after some neat inter-passing and 25 minutes later Suprice Hlungwane doubled the score for Aces. 2-0.
Valencia’s defence were at sixes and sevens and Aces could of scored a few more in a dominating 1st half.
Valencia came back a different team in the second half and with some clever substituting and positional switches, turned the game on its head. They pulled two back with eight minutes of the restart and then scored another two within 2 minutes with their third goal coming in the 80th minute.
Coach Sakala brought on Kurt Pienaar for Morojele (55’), Dlangamandla for Barends and Tefo for Mothongwane but could not stop a rampant Valencia.
Valencia’s win moved them up from 12th to 9th while Aces drop to 14th.
Aces next face bottom club Thembisa Sports Centre at the Methlareng Stadium on Saturday 11 November.
Alex Black Aces TEAM
C Davids, K Hlatshwayo, D Peters, S Hlungwane, C Zimba, T Mbiyozo, B Morojele (55’ K Pienaar), P Khwela, T Mathopa (64’ L Dlangamandla), E Barends (68’ J Tefo), M Mothongwane
Unused Substitutes
A Apollonatos, B Cross, T Malaza
RESULTS
FRIDAY 3 November 2017
JDR Stars FC 0 - 0 Vaal Professionals FC
African All Stars 0 - 1 Maccabi FC
Alexandra United 0 - 0 Dube Continental
SATURDAY 4 November 2017
M. Tigers 2 - 2 Thembisa Sport Centre
Alexandra Black Aces 3 - 4 Valencia FC
Leruma United 2 - 1 Garankuwa United
Swallows FC 2 - 1 Pretoria Callies
Dondol Stars 1 - 0 Baberwa FC
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