Chippa too strong for Baroka FC

Chilli Boys win 4-1, Chiefs beat Free State 2-0 Goals from Marc van Heerden, David Zulu, Mbulelo Wambi and Thembinkosi Lorch took Chippa United to a 4-1 win over Baroka FC in an Absa Premiership clash at the Peter Mokaba Stadium last night. The victory takes the Chilli Boys – who have played just three matches thus far in the league season – to seven points and puts them within striking distance of the summit of the standings. The first half saw a few scoring chances for each team but looked likely to end goalless until the Eastern Cape visitors broke the deadlock in the 43rd minute. Van Heerden’s great shot direct from a free kick had the beating of goalkeeper Oscarine Masuluke, making it 1-0 to Chippa United. Ten minutes into the second half, Baroka suffered a further blow when goalkeeper Masuluke was injured and the hosts were forced to replace him with Xolani Ngcobo. The replacement goalkeeper was only on the field for four minutes before he was beaten, with striker David Zulu doing well to control a pull-back from the right by-line before steering a volley into the back of the net to make it 2-0 to the visitors. In the 64th minute, it became 3-0 to the Chilli Boys, with Mbulelo Wambi easily scoring from close range after Ngcobo could only parry a shot from Andile Mbenyane into the danger zone of his sixyard area. Bakgaga at least scored a consospire Amakhosi to a third straight victory, which moved them to the top of the table on goal difference. Chiefs won 2-0 at the James Motlatsi Stadium, keeping their third straight clean sheet after their stuttering start to the campaign. Victories over Highlands Park and Maritzburg United last week finally kickstarted Amakhosi’s season, easing some of the early season pressure on the shoulders of coach Steve Komphela. In the other match, a 10-man SuperSport United side held Golden Arrows to a 1-1 draw at the Princess Magogo Stadium. It was the worst possible start for the home side, who went a goal down in the 13th minute after Kingston Nkhatha latched onto a through ball from Thuso Phala and duly rounded the keeper to slot home for SuperSport. Despite going behind, Arrows pushed forward in search of an equaliser and were rewarded in the 30th minute when Musa Bilankulu slotted home from close range following a well-worked free-kick on the edge of the box, 1-1. Phala almost restored the lead for SuperSport in the 39th minute, but his in-swinging free-kick was superbly saved by Maximilian Mbaeva.