Ten-man Santos won the Mother City derby at the Athlone Stadium on Saturday night to move into second in the Premier Soccer League standings.
Erwin Isaacs scored the only goal of the match to collect the three points and leapfrog their city rivals despite having to part of the second-half without Bongi Macala, who received his marching orders for a double caution.
But it was the Urban Warriors who almost drew first blood in the ninth minute when Sifiso Vilakazi's shot ricocheted off Santos defender Wayne Arendse. But the Lansdowne team survived the scare and went in search of their own goal a few minutes later.
Romano Scott's cross-shot from the left almost broke the deadlock as Ajax goalkeeper Hans Vonk misjudged the flight of the ball. But luckily for the veteran goalkeeper, the ball floated just wide of his far post.
Moments later George Maluleka was booked as the physical side of the game came to the fore in what was escalating into a heated derby.
Boebie Solomons' side defended in numbers and in deep area in the final third and this forced Ajax to try their luck from distance with both Thulani Serero and Franklyn Cale having long-range cracks at goal.
Then on the half hour Santos went in front through Isaacs' sixth goal of the season after he latched onto Romano Scott's pass and slotted the ball past Vonk.
Five minutes before half-time Isaacs squandered a chance to make it 2-0 when he dinked the ball over the crossbar after being played in by Phikolethu Spelman.
After the break Serero again peppered Tshepo Motsoeneng's goal from range but without really troubling the goalkeeper.
Just before the hour mark Motsoeneng did make a save from a Vilakazi effort but the effort was a poor one that was easily gathered by the People's Team number one.
But the match was turned on its head in the 69th minute when Macala received a second yellow card from referee Jerome Damon for a pointless hack on Ajax substitute Aboubacar Fofana.
Foppe de Haan's men tried to make the most of their numerical advantage but Fofana saw his shot fly wide of the woodwork with just over ten minutes on the clock.
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