Durban City FC were on the wrong end of a 2-1 scoreline against AmaZulu in a Betway Premiership KwaZulu-Natal derby played at the Chatsworth Stadium on Tuesday evening.

City had their chances on the night but paid the price for not being clinical enough as AmaZulu took a 2-0 lead into the half-time break before the team in blue fought back in the second 45′, but came up just short in the end.

From kick-off the Citizens had started on the front foot as Kyle Jurgens fired a shot from range wide of the target in the first minute before Samkelo Maseko sprinted down the right flank in the fifth minute, but was just unable to connect with Jean Lubumba in the box.

Instead it was the visitors who were to draw first blood – in the seventh minute, as Mlondi Mbanjwa brought down Nkosikhona Radebe’s cross before slotting past Frederick Asare.

Ethan Brooks tried to find a reply for the Citizens five minutes later, but his attempt from distance was kept out by AmaZulu keeper Olwethu Mzimela.

At the other end, Asare did brilliantly to deny Mbanjwa after he had gone clean through on goal, midway through the opening stanza.

It was then City’s turn to attack as Maseko beat two men down the wing but was unable to hit the target with his shot, before Lubumba was denied by Mzimela after being picked out in the middle by Luphumlo Sifumba’s cross.

Sifumba then struck a free kick over the goal before Mokone missed the target by a narrow margin as Durban City continued to push for the equaliser.

It was however AmaZulu who were to score next as Radebe set up Athini Maqokolo to net from close range in the fourth minute of first-half added time.

After the restart, the Citizens continued to look for a way back into the game and created openings as Bandile Shandu went close with a 51st minute shot, while at the other end, Maqokolo drew another save out of Asare.

Needing some inspiration, City coach Eric Tinkler rung the changes with a double swap on 69 minutes, and within a couple of minutes it paid dividends as substitute Haashim Domingo found the back of the net to halve the deficit.

Durban City pressed hard for an equaliser in the closing 15 minutes of the game, and had a couple of chances through free-kicks – but were not able to make any of them count.