Cape Town — Royal AM's debut season in the top-flight competition took another turn for the better when they reached the Nedbank Cup quarter-finals after defeating fellow Premiership rivals Swallows 1-0 in a last-16 round fixture at the Dobsonville Stadium, Soweto, on Friday evening.
Last week the same teams met in a Premiership clash and the outcome was the same after Royal AM scored an injury-time winner in Durban last weekend.
Swallows, five-time Nedbank Cup winners, missed a second-half penalty and then conceded a goal soon afterwards.
Both teams were slow out of the blocks, and, when in possession, looked to build from deep options. Swallows were the first to show initiative with a few penetrative raids down the right flank.
In the opening 30 minutes, neither team managed a shot of target, although Swallows' high press allowed them to take play into opposition goalmouth at least three times without making an impact.
Royal AM seemed to allow Swallows to make all the early running and then managed to reverse the flow of the game, with counter-attacks. Most were sprung down the left channels, and although they made good headway, the move died in the final third, mainly because of lack of support.
There seemed to be more urgency in Royal AM's ranks after the half-hour mark passed, and Swallows' defence allowed their opposition more time on the ball around the fringes of their goalmouth. Defender Tshidiso Monamodi and midfielder Jabulani Ncobeni had shots in quick succession, but both attempts were wide of the mark.
In the closing stages of the first half, Mozambique midfielder Dominguês Pelembe was fouled, but Royal AM failed to capitalise on the close-in set-piece.
At the other end, Swallows midfielder Musa Nyatama set off on a penetrative raid down the centre of the park and found defender Dillon Solomons had moved up deep inside the Royal AM half. Solomons did well to latch on to a feed and unleashed a long-range effort which went high and wide.
After a cagey first-half affair, both teams showed far more enterprise when second-half play started. The goalkeepers Jody February (Swallows) and Cameroonian Hugo Nyamé (Royal AM) were both called on to keep their intact with well-taken saves.
In the 56th minute referee Thando Ndzandzeka blew up Royal AM midfielder Jabulani Ncobeni for handball and Nyamé made the easiest of saves after Lebohang Mokoena fluffed the spot-kick with a tame parting shot.
Swallows paid the price for the costly miss moments later when Royal AM substitute Kabelo Mahlasela finally opened the scoring. Royal AM's lone striker Mxolisi Macuphu provided the scoring feed after Swallows defence were reduced to ball watching, 11 minutes from the end.
Meanwhile, in an earlier match on Friday, the University of Pretoria booked their place in the Nedbank Cup quarterfinals after beating Venda Football Academy 4-3 on penalties at the Thohoyandou Stadium.
The round-16 clash finished 3-3 after extra-time as the lead exchanged hands on three occasions throughout the 120 minutes.
IOL Sport