Matchday 26 - Report
Free State Stars 2 - Thanda Royal Zulu 0
BETHLEHEM, April 8 (Absa Premier League) – Late goals from Thamane Motaung and Sthembiso Ngcobo helped Free State Stars sink Thanda Royal Zulu in a tightly contested Absa Premier League game in Bethlehem on Wednesday.
Both goals came in the final nine minutes and ended a resilient defensive display from the visitors, who had managed to hold out their hosts for more than 80 minutes at Goble Park.
Defeat now also leaves the Amabhubesi in serious danger of dropping into the relegation zone if Bloemfontein Celtic can avoid defeat in their game in hand at Bidvest Wits.
Ngcobo had an early chance for his side, but failed to find the target with his shot from the centre of the penalty sailing over.
Ruben Cloete was next to carve an opening after being played through by Matome Madimabe, with the end result again being a wayward finish from the Ea Lla Koto winger.
Roger Palmgren’s team were made to wait until after the half-hour mark for their first chance, which came courtesy of a 30-yard strike from Felix Obada that drew a fine save by the feet of Kennedy Mweene.
Four minutes before the break, Paulus Masehe came closest for either side when his shot from the edge of the penalty area came crashing back off the crossbar as both sides went level into the break.
Immediately after the restart Ngcobo should have done better with a Cloete corner from the right, but headed into the crowd as Stars picked up where they left off before half-time.
Motaung and substitute Prince Olomu then had half-chances, but failed to find the target as Thanda, for all their good defending, struggled to get out of their own half.
And the pressure eventually told in the 81st minute when Olomu managed to force his way into the left side of the penalty area and deliver a pin-point cross for Motaung to finish from close-range at the near post.
Thanda’s woes deepened in the 88th minute when Bongani Mbhele was given his marching orders for a lunging tackle and Stars made them pay in the first minute of injury time.
Saitjheni Tsotetsi sending in a fine cross from the left that came to Ngcobo on the edge of the box and he executed a powerful finish to lift his side up to sixth in the league table.