PLATINUM STARS VS GOLDEN ARROWS | ABSA

Competition: PSL
Date: Saturday, 19 April 2014
Venue: Royal Bafokeng Stadium
Kick-off: 15:00pm

Lamontville Golden Arrows kept alive their hopes of avoiding relegation from the Absa Premiership as they beat Platinum Stars 4-1 away at the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace on Saturday to end a nine-match run without a win.

Arrows, who had drawn their last two games, remain bottom place but are up to 18 points, still six points from safety with three matches left to play.

The result puts under threat Stars’ hopes of a top eight place as they stay on 38 points with two games to go.

Arrows captain Thanduyise Khuboni put Arrows into the lead with a 34th minute penalty, which was his second from the spot in the last three matches. He has now netted eight of 10 spot kicks he has taken this season and moved to second place in the top goal scorer award chase.

The penalty was awarded by referee Robert Smith although television replays showed afterwards there was no contact as Philani Shange went down in a clash with Sibusiso Hadebe.

Siphelele Mthembu had Stars back level within 10 minutes from a free kick inside the penalty area which he blasted home like a rocket after the visiting side had been punished for a foot-up tackle.

But a lively final 10 minutes continued to provide action, two minutes into stoppage time, with a long ball deep out of defence seeing Festus Mbewe chasing onto the ball and then profiting as goalkeeper Siyabonga Mpontshane slipped and the Zambian-born striker was able to glide past full back Thabiso Semenya and score.

There were two early chances for Dikwena just after the half hour mark as Semenya missed with a header from a corner, that was flicked on by Benson Mhlongo, and also for Solomon Mathe, whose effort was blocked.

In the second half, a rasping shot from some 35 mres out from Rudolph Bester put Arrows 3-1 up as the Namibian international profited from a slip from Mathe.

Ten minutes later, in the 66th minute, Bongani Ntuli added a fourth to ensure Arrows’ biggest win of the season.

MATCH STATS

Platinum Stars (1) 1 (Mthembu 40’)

Lamontville Golden Arrows (1) 4 (Khuboni 33’ pen, Mbewe 44’, Bester 56’, Nduli 66’)

Stars: Mpontshane, Semenya, Mere, Gumede, Mpete, Mhlongo (Ngele 61’), Mabule (T Mthembu 77’), Hadebe (Tshabalala 67’), Mathe, Ngambi, Nyanda, S Mthembu.

Arrows: Bartman, Zwane, Nene, Mngwengwe, Sikhakhane, Khuboni, Moholo, Shange (Bester 46’), Mbewe (Niombiyathethi 71’), Katongo (Tom 89’), Ntuli.