Milford FC claimed a dominant 5-1 victory over Richards Bay FC in an intense KZN derby at Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The match was played at Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium as uMhlathuze Stadium remains under repairs and is not yet available to host PSL matches.
The derby took an early turn in the 24th minute when Richards Bay were reduced to 10 men after Zikhali Lindokuhle was shown a straight red card.
Zikhali was judged to have brought down Milford attacker Ndlabi inside the box while being the last defender. The decision sparked heavy protests from Richards Bay players and supporters inside the stadium.
Ndlabi stepped up to take the resulting penalty in the 28th minute and made no mistake, giving Milford the lead.
Richards Bay were beginning to adjust to playing a man short when Milford struck again just before the break, with Mvelo Zikakayo finding the back of the net in the 45th minute to make it 2-0.
Richards Bay came out with renewed intent in the second half and introduced Mahala as they looked to strengthen their attack alongside Xulu.
However, Milford continued to punish the visitors.
Zikakayo completed his brace in the 54th minute, with Ndlabi providing the assist to put Milford 3-0 ahead.
Richards Bay finally found a way back into the game in the 77th minute when they pulled one goal back from a corner.
Any hopes of a comeback were quickly ended, though, as Phakamani Jwara restored Milford’s three-goal advantage in the 84th minute.
Gxakoshe, who had just been introduced, added another in stoppage time, with Mkhize providing the assist as Milford completed a 5-1 victory.
The result gives Milford the bragging rights in the Richards Bay derby, while both sides now turn their attention to their next Betway Premiership fixtures.
Milford will look to carry the momentum from their emphatic derby victory into their next outing, while Richards Bay will be looking to bounce back from a difficult afternoon that saw them play more than an hour with 10 men.