BLOEM CELTIC VS GOLDEN ARROWS | ABSA

Competition: PSL
Date: Wednesday, 15 February 2012
Venue: Botshabelo Stadium
Kick-off: 19:30pm

Lamontville Golden Arrows have suffered a 3-2 defeat at Bloemfontein Celtic in a thrilling Absa Premiership clash on Wednesday night.

The fixture was the first for the club following the mid-season break, but ended in disappointment as Clifford Mulenga, Lennox Bacela and Letladi Madubanya scored for the home side. Katlego Mashego and Musa Bilankulu netted for the visitors.

Ivorian goalkeeper Stephan Loboue and defensive midfielder Clifford Ngobeni made their debuts from the start for Abafana Bes’thende after joining the club in the January transfer window.
Celtic were ahead inside four minutes when Mulenga scored from Bacela’s free-kick with a neat finish into the top corner.

Good work down the left by Dillon Sheppard created an opportunity for Elrio van Heerden, but he missed with his effort, while just before that Mashego had a half-chance of his own from a Sheppard delivery that he put wide.

The influential Sheppard unleashed a thunder-bolt from the edge of the area that was also wayward as the visitors edged closer to a goal.
Loboue produced an excellent save to deny Madubanya just before halftime, and then went one better tipping Danny Venter’s effort round the post.

Those saved would prove crucial as Golden Arrows equalised with seconds left in the half. Not surprisingly the delivery came from Sheppard, with Mashego heading past a helpless Patrick Tignyemb in the home goal.

Coach Muhsin Ertugral made a switch at halftime, withdrawing Van Heerden and bringing in veteran Philani Shange to the midfield.

Shange had the first real chance of the second half, shooting over the bar from the edge of the area, before the home side regained their lead on 56 minutes.

This time Mulenga was provider as he crossed for Bacela to side-foot home from close-range.
And two minutes later Phunya Sele Sele stretched their lead, ex-Golden Arrows star Thokozani Mshengu providing the cross for Madubanya to score.

Msawakhe Sikhosana came on to make his debut for Golden Arrows in the final 15 minutes, the youngster having been a product of the youth set-up at the club.

Mashego had an opportunity to close the deficit when he worked a shooting chance, but couldn’t find the target.

Golden Arrows did get a second goal and it came via the head of Bilankulu, who met Siyanda Zwane’s cross to score.

MATCH STATS
Bloemfontein Celtic (1) 3 (Mulenga 4′, Bacela 56′, Madubanya 58′)
Lamontville Golden Arrows (1) 2 (Mashego 45′, Bilankulu 90′)