New Premier Soccer League franchise Cape Town City made the perfect start to life in the top-flight with a deserved 2-0 victory over Polokwane City at the Cape Town Stadium on Tuesday night.

Goals in either half from Bongi Jayiya and Aubrey Ngoma gave Eric Tinkler’s team the victory in a game they largely dominated.

There is still much work to be done for the side though‚ some of their combination play was poor‚ but they warmed to their task as the game went on and can now look ahead to Friday’s MTN8 quarterfinal with Kaizer Chiefs at the same venue.

Tshepo Gumede flashed a header just wide from a corner for the home side in the first real chance of the game‚ while at the other end Thobani Mncwango found himself with just the goalkeeper to beat‚ but lifted his shot well high and wide.

Neat play from the visitors then set up Puleng Tlolane with a shooting chance on the edge of the box‚ but his curling effort hit the crossbar.

City’s two Australians Matt Sim and James Brown combined well to set up an opening for Lehlohonolo Majoro‚ but he could only fire into the side-netting from an ever tightening angle.

Sibusiso Mbonani then had his heart in his mouth as the Polokwane defender sliced an Ngoma cross inches past his own post.

The opener came deep into injury-time at the end of the first half when Sim’s cross was missed by the Polokwane defence and came to Jayiya.

There was the suspicion that he used his arm to control the ball‚ but beat his defender and drilled the ball into the top corner.

After a concerted period of Polokwane pressure‚ home substitute Judas Moseamedi should have made it 2-0 when he needed only to nod an Ngoma cross into the net‚ but got too much elevation and headed over the bar.

The latter did get a second for the home side on 69 minutes though when a counter-attack saw Lebogang Manyama feed him in the box and Ngoma supplied a cool finish. — TMG Digital