Chippa share spoils with Leopards

Chippa United and Black Leopards played to a 0-0 draw in a DStv Premiership match at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha on Wednesday.

The result does not do   either team any favours in their bid for top-flight survival.

Leopards remain bottom of the table and six points from safety with just three games to rescue their status while Chippa are still floating around the promotion-relegation berth.

Both teams showed their intent from the onset, with Chippa left-back Riaan Hanamub and Lidoda Duvha forward Rodney Ramagalela firing a shot on target in the opening three minutes of the match.

The best chance of the first half fell at Augustine Kwem’s feet on the cusp of half-time, but Jonas Mendes made a good save to deny the burly forward from finding the back of the net from range.

Leopards forced Isma Watenga into action 10 minutes after the interval, with Ovidy Karuau sending his effort straight at the Uganda shot-stopper.

The Chilli Boys turned on the screws in the closing stages of the match and the Nedbank Cup runners-up looked the more likely to find a winner.

Kurt Lentjies hit the woodwork in the 83rd minute before Mendes saved from a Mduduzi Sibeko shot five minutes later, but in the end neither team could find the goal they desired and the match ended in a goalless draw.

• Maritzburg United pulled off a nervy but much-needed 3-2 win over Golden Arrows to get out of the relegation zone and significantly enhance their chances of avoiding automatic relegation or the play-offs.

With this win, Maritzburg moved to 12th spot and they have a slight advantage of a game in hand over Stellenbosch, Chippa United and Black Leopards who are on the bottom half of the table.

There is no time for the players and coach Ernst Middendorp to dwell on this vital victory over third-placed Arrows as they have a trip to Polokwane to take on TTM on Saturday.

Golden Arrows, who missed out on an opportunity to pull away from fourth-placed Orlando Pirates, have time to work on their deficiencies as they only return to league action against TS Galaxy on Wednesday at home.

• Bloemfontein Celtic and Cape Town City played out a goalless stalemate in their clash at the Dr Molemela Stadium in Bloemfontein on Wednesday afternoon.

The result sees Phunya Sele Sele extend their winless run to six league matches and remain in 11th place on the log, just three points above the relegation play-off spot, while the Citizens snapped a two-game losing streak and remain in seventh. — Additional reporting by Mahlatse Mphahlele, SuperSport.com.