Danny Venter © Gallo Images
Sat, 18 Feb 2017 | 14:39
Free State Stars beat Golden Arrows 1-0 in an Absa Premiership game at the Princess Magogo Stadium in Durban on Saturday afternoon.
The victory took Ea Lla Koto to 12th in the league standings, while Abafana Bes’thende remain seventh on the table.
The match got off to a lively start with Stars centre forward Mohammed Anas forcing Arrows goalkeeper Nkosingiphile Gumede into a good save five minutes into the game.
Stars keeper Christoffer Mafoumbi was also called into action five minutes later when he denied Arrows winger Kudakwashe Mahachi as the two sides searched for an early goal.
Former South Africa Under-23 keeper Gumede was adjudged to have handled the handled the ball outside his box in the 24th minute and Stars were awarded a free-kick in a promising area.
Danny Venter, the Stars’ free-kick specialist, then stepped up and beat the Arrows wall and Gumede to fire the visitors into the lead five minutes before the half-hour mark.
The home side then pressed for the equalising goal. However, the Ea Lla Koto defence, which was marshalled by Tamsanqa Teyise, stood firm and Stars were leading 1-0 at halftime.
It should have been 2-0 to Stars nine minutes after the restart when Venter, who was looking for his second goal, unleashed a good shot which was brilliantly saved by Gumede.
The visitors looked dangerous each time they pushed forward and in the 66th minute Allen Nono pulled the trigger from range, but Gumede was alert as he pulled off a decent save.
Moeketsi Sekola nearly doubled Stars’ lead with less than 10 minutes left, but once again Gumede came off his goal-line to produce a great save denying the visitors.
Arrows did launch late attacks looking to snatch a late goal and level matters, but Stars contained them and, ultimately, the match ended 1-0 in favour of Ea Lla Koto.
Arrows 0
FS Stars 1 (Venter 25′)
Arrows: Gumede, Mzava, Mthiyane, Jooste, Mathiane, Bilankulu, Phiri (N.Cele 68′), Ntanga (Lamola 46′), Mahachi, Fikizolo (Dikgacoi 70′), Mutizwa.
FS Stars: Mafoumbi, Mashego, Teyise,
Tlhone, Mahamutsa, Venter, Vilakazi (Kerspuy 65′), Makhaula, Potsane (Sekola 46′), Jantjie, Anas.
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