Panorama F.C. - SC Mzansi 4-5 (26 February 2014)

Date	26 February 2014
Competition	Summer League Cup
Venue	Panorama Sports Complex
Match	Panorama F.C. - SC Mzansi
Final Result	4 - 5
Goals	2 Mark Veldon 1 Gary Thornton 1 Olaf Olgiati
Assist	1 Mark Veldon 1 Gary Thornton
Yellow Cards	1 Mark Veldon
Red Cards
Match Report	Panorama's streak ended after 25 games in a night so close on being legendary. Facing SC Mzansi, who won the league above, not many supporters gave Panorama any chance of progressing to an unheard second cup final in a row. And this was also the feeling in the first minutes of the game, where a nervous Panorama gave maybe too much credit to Mzansi. After settling down, Panorama started to play more relaxed but after 15 minutes they lost their influential portoguese midfielder Almedia, who, after a jumping one-two with Olgiati, landed on the ground and twisted his ankle, probably damaging his ligamentes (good luck Marco!). So Kelly, already missing Robson and Chrichton, was forced to re-shuffle the team and deploy Miles up front with Thornton covering in midfield. The lack of Thornton up front in his linking/holding lone striker position created sterile attacks that Mzansi managed to cope without any issues. In 15 minutes though the game was almost over. Three times Panorama made silly mistakes, and three times Mzansi punished them, attacking on the left side with their quickest players. The only big chances Panorama managed to create was an amazing 35 meters missile from Veldon which the keeper saved at the last moment. 3-0 down in the first half and with nothing to lose, coach Kelly decided to employ a more attacking minded eleven in the second half. Mathebula was introduced for Miles, and Thornton was deployed once again up front. Panorama started getting more confidence, and soon had Mzansi under pressure. A free kick won by Olgiati was converted by Thornton who found an impossible angle where the opponent's keeper couldn't get. It was a matter of minute when, after another counter attack, De Toit won the ball in the midfield, lobbed it to Veldon, who, after beating the keeper, passed to Olgiati who just needed to convert from a tight angle for the 2-3. Mzansi were rattled and soon found again more misery. With Thornton and Olgiati on the scoreboard already, it was the unstoppable Veldon who controlled and converted outside the area from the tighest of the angle a pass by Thornton for the 3-3. Mzansi, who in the whole season never found themselves under so much trouble, decided to play long ball and attacking the tired Panorama defence, who in the second half controlled them without any issues. But from a tentative cross from the three quarters Mzansi found a header that cruelly loobed Thornton for the 4-3. After spending so much time and energy to get back in the game, the goal could have been the final k.o. But Panorama dug deep and kept attacking again, finding another goal with a header after some crazy bounces in the area. With the tie now 4-4, Panorama, with 10 minutes to go, thought they found an unlikely winner when Thornton header was dummied by Veldon (in an offside position) and tricked the keeper. But the referee thought that Veldon touched the ball and  the goal was ruled out. Mzansi, now dreading the extra time, managed to find one last chance from the left and, with 5 minutes to go, it was the chance that got converted for the most cruel of scores. Panorama lost for the first time since June 2014, but not without a fight. They got close to a miracle in a perfect night on a fantastic field, where all the players poured their hearts in in a semifinal that showed the progress over the last 9 months.
GK Nick Thornton 90 D Andrew Morris 90 D Kevin Mac Gregor 90 D Mike Kelly 90 D Keith Pereira 90 M Olaf Olgiati 90 M Jacques De Toit 90 M Mark Veldon 90   M David Harris 90 M Marco Almeida 75 F Gary Thornton 90 sub Thabo Mathebula 45 sub Jacob Miles 30