Parker strike fires Chiefs to the top

 Bernard Parker scored the only goal of the game as Kaizer Chiefs defeated Lamontville Golden Arrows 1-0 in an Absa Premiership encounter at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Thursday night.

The win helped Amakhosi to move up to the top of the table with 27 points, three ahead of Mamelodi Sundowns who have a game in hand, while Arrows remain at the bottom of the table with 10 points.

The first chance fell for Siphiwe Tshabalala in the 14^th minute but the winger fired wide of the target, while Knowledge Musona was able to force Ryan Harrison to make a save from inside the box in the 26^th minute.

Both sides created opportunities after the half-hour mark but Reneilwe Letsholonyane shot over the crossbar in the 33^rd minute, while Bongi Ntuli was unable to poke the ball past Itumeleng Khune four minutes later.

Then in the 39^th minute Nkanyiso Mgwengwe came close to turning the ball into his own net, only to be saved by the crossbar.

Siboniso Gaxa should have done better from the rebound but the right fullback rushed his header onto the post with the goalkeeper out of the picture.

Siyabonga Nkosi came close to scoring against his former team on the stroke of half time but his shot shaved the outside of the upright.

The visitors went ahead three minutes into the second half when Parker converted his penalty with ease after Mzivukile Tom was adjudged to have handled the ball inside the box.

Ntuli could have equalised for the home side at the other end less than a minute later but Khune dived forward to keep his low effort out.

Both sides continued to give away possession unnecessarily in the midfield but in the 69^th minute Tshabalala forced a decent low save from Harrison, who dived to his right to palm the ball wide.

Arrows had two late chances to salvage a point but Ntuli was denied by a good save from Khune in the 80^th minute, who also came off his line to deny Philani Shange eight minutes later.

Lamontville Golden Arrows 0

Kaizer Chiefs (0) 1 (Parker pen. 48’)

Lamontville Golden Arrows: Harrison, Zwane S, Musonda, Mgwengwe (Sithole 65’), Tom, Mlotshwa, Shange, Zothwane (Polelo 74’), Mothibantwa (Nene 57’), Khuboni, Ntuli

Kaizer Chiefs: Khune, Gaxa, Gould, Mashamaite, Masilela, Katsande, Letsholonyane (Dladla 64’), Tshabalala (Ritchie 90’), Parker, Nkosi (Bukenya 85’), Musona

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