Stellies rise above Polokwane City in Carling KO Cup

Stellenbosch FC booked their spot in the semifinals of the Carling Knockout Cup this week, following a pragmatic 2-0 win over Polokwane City at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium on Friday night.

Courtesy of two clinical efforts by Iqraam Rayners and Devon Titus in the first-half, Stellebosch overcame a spirited Rise and Shine outfit on away soil.

Stellenbosch looked lively during the opening stages of the encounter and took the game to Polokwane City straight after the referee’s whistle. As a result of their early pressure, the travelling outfit took the lead in the seventh minute as Rayners opened the scoring at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium.

After incisive interplay on the edge of the Polokwane City penalty area, Rayners latched onto a square ball across the six-yard box to give his side a well-deserved lead.

Stellies continued to see most of the ball after taking the lead and actively searched for their second goal of the match. Their moment arrived in the 16th minute when Devin Titus joined Rayners on the goal scorers list. Following a lapse in concentration inside the Polokwane City half, Sage Stephens found Titus with a lob into the area as the attacker made sure to guide the ball into the back of the net.

Rise and Shine struggled to get into the encounter after conceding their second goal as Stellenbosch proved to be a tough nut to crack defensively. Stellenbosch did enough to see out the half with their 2-0 lead intact.

Much like in the first half, Stellenbosch maintained their shape and discipline in defensive situations as Polokwane City saw large portions of the ball after the restart.

With an hour on the clock, Stellies continued to control the game as Jayden Adams and Genino Palace pulled the strings in the middle