Mutandani Pull Together booked a place in the next stage of the Vhembe Mayoral Challenge Cup, following their 4-2 victory over Ramukhuba Young Brothers at the Ramukhuba grounds on Sunday afternoon.

Pull Together started the game without their number-one goalkeeper, Rendani Masindi, who joined them in the 28th minute.

The game was lukewarm in the first 10 minutes while the teams were still studying each other. The visitors from Lwamondo-Mutandani gained momentum towards the end of the first half, but they could not find their way through the defence of Brothers.

Rudzani Nefhere of Pull Together played deaf when the referee blew the whistle for a throw-in. Instead of throwing the ball in from the touch-line, Nefhere went straight to the corner kick spot, as if the referee had signaled for a corner kick. The Zimbabwean referee, Mr Mbonise Ndlovu, reprimanded him with a yellow card for that.

The veteran striker for Pull Together, Nathaniel Maise, was unlucky in the 74th minute. He unleashed from within the box, but the keeper of Young Brothers, Dakalo Sikhwari, braved the shot to execute a brilliant save. The score sheet was still blank at the end of the regulation time and the teams went straight into penalty shootout to determine the winner.

Pull Together converted four of their five chances through Nathaniel Maise, Lucky Mudana, Phumudzo Nemutandani and Emmanuel Nekhofhe, while Milingoni Netshidongololwe shot straight to the keeper. The only two successes for Young Brothers were registered in Ernest Mudzunga and Jefres Munyai’s names.