Chiefs edge closer to the summit after downing Arrows
Kaizer Chiefs were made to work at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Wednesday evening before coming away with a 2-0 win over Golden Arrows in their final match of 2016.
Fresh from their last-gasp 3-2 win over Polokwane City on the weekend – a result which ended a run of seven matches without a league victory – the Soweto side looked sharper than Arrows and enjoyed the better of the first half, taking a 1-0 lead into the break thanks to a second goal in two games from veteran striker Bernard Parker.
But Chiefs battled to contain a fired-up Abafana bes’Thende in the second half and it was only when Siphiwe Tshabalala headed in 11 minutes from time that the maximum point haul was secured.
The opening goal arrived on 28 minutes, Parker getting perfect contact with his head to guide Ramahlwe Mphahlele’s inviting cross in at the far post.
Arrows did have one or two promising moments in attack, but they failed to click up front and with the exception of a couple of shots which were blocked by defenders, the Durban side failed to trouble the Amakhosi goal.
Apart from Parker’s clinical finish though and for all their bright play, Chiefs also failed to test the opposition keeper Nkosingiphile Gumede for the remainder of the first half.
Gumede was lucky to stay on the field when he was given only a yellow card after he clattered down a goal-bound Parker just outside the box a couple of minutes after the restart.
The KZN outfit though were to ask more questions of the Chiefs defence after the restart, Wayde Jooste and Vuyani Ntanga not too far off with shots from range before Amakhosi goalkeeper Brilliant Khuzwayo did superbly to move off his line and block Andile Fikizolo’s shot from just 12-yards out.
A header from Danny Phiri flew over goal as Arrows continued to push hard for the equaliser, although in a rare second half chance for Steve Komphela’s side, Tshabalala sent a diving header wide from close range with 20 minutes to go.
But eight minutes later and ‘Shabba’ did give Chiefs a much-needed cushion of a second goal when he arrived at the near post to head in Joseph Molangoane’s cross.
The result takes Chiefs to within one point of joint log-leaders Bidvest Wits and Cape Town City and Komphela will likely be able to enjoy his Christmas that much more after his side secured back-to-back wins to end a testing year.
Clinton Larsen’s side meanwhile seem to be in free-fall after now going six games without a league victory.