Goals from Thabo Nodada and Judas Mosemaedi gave Mpumalanga Black Aces a 2-0 Absa Premiership win over Maritzburg United at Harry Gwala Stadium.

Maritzburg had their chances and missed two good scoring chances that could have brought them right back into the contest, but it was not to be and Aces punished them.

With the win, Aces move up to 4th spot on the table while Ernst Middendorp’s men remain rooted to the bottom with the reality of automatic relegation staring them right in the face.

There was a late starting line-up change when Maritzburg’s Mohammed Anas was injured in the warm up and Ryan Moon took his place in the starting team.

The first chance of the game went to Maritzburg, but Ryan Moon's header flew just the bar. Twelve minutes into the game and Black Aces midfielder Thabo Nodada fired in a long range shot at goal, but while it was powerful it flew over the crossbar.

The best chance of the game arrived after 41 minutes when Evans Rusike was put into space inside the danger area, but his low shot towards the far bottom corner was well saved by Shuaib Walters.

And a minute later Aces missed an absolute sitter as the ball rolled across the face of goal to find Bhongolwethu Jayiya who somehow completely missed the ball while trying to place his shot from close range with just the goalkeeper to beat.

Aces had yet another chance on the stroke of halftime when Judas Mosemaedi got into space on the left side of the 18 area, but he chose not to use his weaker left foot and tried to bend the ball in with the outside of his right boot and got it badly wrong.

Six minutes into the second half and the visitors took the lead. Thabo Nodada received the ball and opened up the angle for himself to first in a left footed shot past the keeper at his near post – 1-0 and Nodada’s first League goal for Aces.

Then Maritzburg made a costly miss when substitute Van Wyk somehow missed the target altogether with just the keeper to beat from a very good position inside the danger area.

Evans Rusike came close to finding the equalizer when he drove his shot across goal following a corner kick, and in the 73rd minute Judas Mosemaedi fund the back of the net when a rebounded volley from Nodada hit his chest and went in.

Inside the final ten minutes Deolin Mekoa got into space and hit a low shot towards goal, but Walters once more got down low to make a strong save. Aces held on for their win and Maritzburg are now in deep trouble.

Maritzburg United 0
Mpumalanga Black Aces (0) 2 (Nodada 51’ Mosemaedi 73’)

TEAMS

Maritzburg: Verbauwhede, Sanoka (Onyango 85’), Mngonyama, Teyise, Mogapi, Mekoa D, Zulu, Booysen (Van Wyk 55’), Rusike, Lentjies, R Moon (Maasdorp 62’)

Aces: Walters, Kobola, Ngalo, B Moon, Jayiya (Mulenga 64’), Nodada (Mashikinya 88’), Khuboni, Modiba, Mbatha (Masina 46’), Moseamedi, Ngoma