FREE STATE STARS VS GOLDEN ARROWS | ABSA

Competition: PSL
Date: Saturday ,15 February 2014
Venue: Goble Park
Kick-off: 15:30pm

Lamontville Golden Arrows have suffered a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Free State Stars in their Absa Premiership clash at the Charles Mopeli Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Goals from Paulus Masehe and Richard Henyekane put Ea Lla Koto 2-0 up, before Bongi Ntuli pulled one back late on for the visitors. Arrows co-coaches Shaun Bartlett and Bheka Phakathi kept the same starting XI from the side that defeated Polokwane City 3-2 in their last fixture, keeping faith with their selection.

The game was even in the first quarter with half-chances at either end, the best falling to Masehe who fired straight at Arthur Bartman.

That served as a warning to Arrows of the threat of the former Orlando Pirates star, who did find the back of the net on 32 minutes. He provided a neat finish having been set up by Reuben Thebakang and the home side led.

Philani Shange fired just wide from a free-kick, while shortly after halftime Bongi Ntuli had an excellent chance to level for Abafana Bes’thende, but his shot was well saved by Tshepo Motsoeneng.

But shortly aftertwards the home side doubled their lead. A long ball was headed into the path of Henyekane and he supplied a cool finish from the edge of the area that crept into Bartman’s right-hand post.

Arrows tried their best to get back into the game, Zambian forward Festus Mbewe shot wide, while Shange saw another good effort on goal off-target. Nhlanhla Zothwane forced a good save from Motsoeneng with a 30-yard shot that the goalkeeper did well to get behind.

Bartman made a brilliant one-on-one save to deny Henyekane from Daniel Cardoso’s through-ball.
Ntuli set up a thrilling finish to the game when he netted with seven minutes remaining with a thumping header that was too strong for Motsoeneng to make it 2-1.

Try as they might though, Arrows could not find the equaliser their play in the final 10 minutes deserved.
Next up for Arrows is their Nedbank Cup Last 32 home clash with Polokwane City on February 22.

MATCH STATISTICS
Free State Stars (1) 2 (Masehe 32’, Henyekane 58’)
Lamontville Golden Arrows (0) 1 (Ntuli 84’)
Stars: Motsoeneng, Ouro-Akoriko, Cardoso, Thlone (Venter 18’), Masehe, Thebakang, Kerspuy (Yende 45’), Mashego, Basie, Henyekane, Patel (Sekola 59’)

Arrows: Bartman, S Zwane, Katjiukua, Musonda, Tom, Ntombayithethi (Zothwane 62’), Hotto (Twala 73’), Shange, Khuboni, Mbewe (Bester 76’), Ntuli