PSL | Wasteful Kaizer Chiefs keep Chippa in drop zone, Swallows gain crucial win

Swallows 1-0 Maritzburg United

Swallows’ mission to avoid the drop received a major boost as they clambered out of the relegation zone with a vital victory over Maritzburg United in Dobsonville on Thursday.

It grants them precious breathing space as they now sit in 12th place.

For Fadlu Davids and his charges, the pain continues as they are stuck in the cellar of the log and are running out of time to keep their Premiership status with only three matches remaining.

In a typical scrap for supremacy, momentum swung regularly between the two desperate teams before David Uromi’s strike was enough to settle matters.

On as a substitute, the 23-year-old Tanzanian did well to find space in a congested area and complete his finish with a curling shot.

In hindsight, the goal was deserved as Swallows probably showed a more polished form of attacking intent over the 90 minutes.

Maritzburg had struggled to gain a foothold at the start and could only really point to a 15-minute period after half-time where they crafted the type of opportunities that required a few hasty interventions from the Swallows defenders.

But they soon lost that ascendancy as the hosts controlled matters relatively comfortably. 

Chippa United 0-1 Kaizer Chiefs

All’s well that ends well for Kaizer Chiefs as they got back on the winning trail with a 1-0 victory over Chippa in Gqeberha on Thursday afternoon.

Yet they came uncomfortably close to ruing their own wastefulness and a crucial equaliser in the dying seconds by the host, which was disallowed.

Stung into action after a loss to Sekhukhune, coach Arthur Zwane made five changes to his line-up and had the relative satisfaction of seeing the majority of them paying off, particularly Christian Saile Basomboli, who was menacing throughout.

The Congolese forward crafted the first chance for AmaKhosi when his nifty header drew an early, sharp save and then had a hand in two other prominent opportunities in the first half, one where Mduduzi Shabalala hit post after his lay-off and the other when Ashley du Preez lacked accuracy with a shot from his knockdown.

That frustrating pattern would continue after a goal-less first 45 when Saile released Yusuf Maart on halfway, who was then snuffed out by some desperate defence.

But the breakthrough would come in the 73rd minute when Du Preez atone for his earlier miss by controlling Reeve Frosler’s excellent ball and keeping his composure to finish.

Chippa belatedly found some attacking impetus in search of a point and actually had the ball in the net in stoppage time from a corner, only to have the goal chalked off for an earlier infringement.

In truth, Chiefs should’ve been comfortably ahead anyway.

Chippa are now winless in 9 matches and stuck in the relegation zone.      

Mamelodi Sundowns 1-0 Richards Bay

Thapelo Morena (Gallo)

Gallo Images

While Mamelodi Sundowns ran out 1-0 winners in their DStv Premiership clash against Richards Bay on Tuesday evening, they certainly didn’t have it all their own way against the KwaZulu-Natal side. 

The champions started on the front foot from the start, and as early as the 1st minute Terrence Mashego made a run down the left, but his cross was collected by Richards Bay keeper Omar Jamal Salim Magoola.

Two minutes later, Bongani Zungu unleashed a shot from range but couldn’t hit the target.Mashego continued to show some excellent penetration down the left.

In the 11th minute, he again managed to cross the ball into the area, but again, Magoola collected to cut out the danger.

Richards Bay were slowly working their way into the game, and in the 22nd minute, Sanele Barns fired a shot into the side netting. Sundowns opened the scoring in the 25th minute after a ball in the box hit Sibonginhlanhla Mthethwa in the face.

The rebound fell to Thapelo Morena, who slotted the ball home for a 1-0 lead to the home side.In the 35th minute, Sundowns had an excellent chance to extend their lead as Thabiso Kutumela and Gaston Sirino combined well.

Kutumela’s shot couldn’t beat Magoola in the Richards Bay goal as the teams went into half-time at 1-0.

Richards Bay started the second half well and almost equalised in the 51st minute as an effort by Barns was cleared off the line by Mosa Labusa.

Three minutes later, Sundowns keeper Ronwen Williams was forced into a save from a tight angle after a shot from Somila Ntsundwana.

Lebohang Maboe then had a chance to extend Sundowns’ lead but fired over just a minute later. 

The champions received a massive scare in the 65th minute when a thunderous shot from Mpho Mathebula crashed back off the crossbar with Williams in the Sundowns goal looking on. 

Richards Bay pushed for the equaliser in the final third of the match and almost managed one in the final minute as Williams pulled off a spectacular save to deny Katlego Maphathe.

The win sees Rhulani Mokwena’s charges extend their lead at the top of the log to 65 points, with 20 wins from 27 matches, while Richards Bay are 10th on 32 points, just one above TS Galaxy who have a game in hand.