Swallows stun Stars with a win

Moroka Swallows managed to claim their second Absa Premiership victory in 11 matches after they recorded a 1-0 win over Platinum Stars at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium on Tuesday evening.

Felix Obada scored the only goal of the encounter to lift the Dobsonville outfit up to tenth on the log.

The opportunity to move fourth on the log standings was available for Platinum Stars, had they walked away with maximum points, while Swallows were fighting for their lives.

A chance was immediately created by the home side when Mogakolodi Ngele struck an effort from range that sailed narrowly wide of goal.

The Botswana international then got his next effort straight on target when he fired a left-footed drive on 13 minutes, but it was easy pickings for Greg Etafia.

Ten minutes later Mduduzi Nyanda broke down the right flank to put in a cross that Sibusiso Hadebe was just unable to reach

Chances were then squandered at either end just before the half hour mark, with both Siyabonga Nomvethe and Ngele firing their efforts wide of their respective targets.

It was so nearly 1-0 to Stars heading into the interval when Gift Sithole did well to break through the backline and supply a cross from the flank. His diagonal ball met Siphelele Mthembu, who then headed his effort just wide of goal.

Alan Freese was forced into making a double save at the restart with both Nyanda and Hadebe coming off due to injury, seeing Thabani Mthembu and Mahlatsi Makudubela both come on.

The Dube Birds did manage to snatch the lead on 55 minutes when Felix Obada turned on the ball and fired a low drive into bottom corner of the goal.

The lead could have been doubled by Nomvethe when he did well to create some space and unleash a powerful drive that went just wide of Siyabonga Mpontshane’s goal.

Parity was nearly restored 15 minutes from time when Mthembu connected a set-piece and nodded it back towards goal, however, it sailed just wide of the back post.

More misery haunted Stars in the closing stages of the game as they were reduced to ten men following Ngele’s injury, as Lerato Chabangu cracked a snapshot that sailed wide of goal.

Platinum Stars: (0) 0

Moroka Swallows: (0) 1 (Obada 55’)

 Platinum Stars: Mpontshane, Mere, Gumede, Sithole, Mpeta, Nyanda (Mthembu 46’), Sarr (Msomi 68’), Mathe, Ngele, Hadebe (Makudubela 46’), Mthembu.

Moroka Swallows: Etafia, Mapemba, Hendricks, Mokgothu (Nergadze 88’), Bereng (Chabangu 56’), Cohen, Mbekile, Tsutsulupa, Mabalane, Nomvethe (Wana 82’), Obada

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