RICHARDS BAY – Zwigodini Real Vikings gave Sobantu Football Club a tough time when they lost 1-2 to them in the finals of the Castle Regional League National play-off match that was played at the Esikhawini Stadium in Richards Bay on Saturday.

At one stage the stadium was virtually turned into a swimming pool, as heavy rain started to fall in the area. The team from the Northern part of Limpopo Province squandered a number of chances in the early part of the game. The Kwazulu Natal team capitalised on the slippery ground to score their opening goal in the 18th minute.

Sandile Ndlovu intercepted a back pass by the defender of Vikings and blasted in a rocket. The keeper of Vikings Rofhiwa Mukono slept and dived in the opposite direction. Timothy Netshamudzinga, the Vikings' left back, was booked for a foul on David Dladla of Sobantu.

Sobantu scored their second goal in the 34th minute when Sandile Ndlovu went loose from the right-hand corner and unleashed a ground cutter that made the Vikings' keeper, Rofhiwa Mukono, feel he was a spectator, as he helplessly watched the ball hitting the net.

Vikings should have retaliated in the 40th minute, but they missed by a mile. Million Makhubela was trapped within the box and the referee awarded a penalty. Mpho Masia shot straight to the keeper, who easily handled the ball. The score was still 2-0 at the break.

Vikings came back strongly in the last half. The players of Sobuntu had to abandon their positions and packed themselves at the far back in a bid to defend their two goals. The visitors reduced the score, when Tshifhiwa Muhanelwa finished off a ball on the rebound, after a scramble within the box.