Bradley Grobler strikes again as Sekhukhune United outgun TS Galaxy in thrilling league battle

Sekhukhune United maintained their flying start to the Betway Premiership season with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over TS Galaxy at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium on Wednesday night.

A poacher’s finish from striker Bradley Grobler — his third goal of the campaign in all competitions — sealed the points for the Limpopo-based outfit, lifting them to six points, while the Rockets slumped to their third consecutive defeat in what has been a rocky start to their season.

The two sides entered the contest in starkly contrasting form. Babina Noko arrived brimming with confidence after a strong start in both the league and the MTN8, where they are set to face Stellenbosch FC in the semi-finals.

Their place in the last four of the MTN8 came at the expense of the very same Rockets, before they went on to open their league account with a memorable 1-0 win over Orlando Pirates.

In their previous meeting, the teams had served up a five-goal thriller, but this encounter was far more cagey. The first half produced only a handful of chances, with both sides opting for a cautious approach and tightening their defensive structures.

The second half brought a sharper edge, with Galaxy landing the first blow in the 52nd minute. Sphiwe Maduna’s powerful strike inside the box forced a sharp save from Renaldo Leaner, keeping the home side level.

While Eric Tinkler had a bench brimming with game-changing options, Adnan Beganovic could only look behind him and find silence where he might have expected solutions, with their FIFA ban once again leaving them with thin options on the bench.

Substitute Linda Mtambo’s speculative effort into the box was heading well wide but found Siphesihle Mkhize, whose low drive was too hot for Ira Tape to handle.

Grobler was alert and ruthless, pouncing on the loose ball to score the match-winner in the 77th minute and secure Sekhukhune’s second league victory, maintaining their 100% record.