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Durban - Collins Mbesuma scored a brace to help Golden Arrows end their winless start to the Absa Premiership season with a 3-1 victory over Platinum Stars in Umlazi, outside Durban, on Wednesday.
In an end-to-end encounter at the King Goodwill Zwelithini Stadium, the Zambian put the hosts in front with a 31st minute penalty before doubling the advantage on the hour mark.
Henrico Botes missed a chance for Stars, from the penalty spot, straight after Mbesuma's opener, while Musa Bilankulu scored a late goal and Terrence Mandaza netted a stoppage-time consolation strike for the visitors.
Arrows began promisingly, but despite dominating most of the early possession, they failed to carve out a number of clear-cut openings.
Mbesuma and Joseph Musonda both fluffed early chances, shooting straight at visiting goalkeeper Eugene Soppo.
At the other end, Robert Ng'ambi almost caught the home defence off guard when he turned two defenders on the edge of the penalty area, but shot straight at Virgil Vries.
Midway through the half, Mbuyiselo Sambu slotted the ball in the back of the net for Stars, but his goal was disallowed for being off-side after deflecting the ball off a team-mate.
Arrows then created the best chance of the half when Mbesuma crossed from the right, but Jabulani Nene volleyed just over.
There was no denying them, however, just after the half-hour mark when Phelelani Mpangase pushed Philani Shange in the back and a penalty was awarded.
Mbesuma's initial effort was saved by Soppo, but referee Buyile Gqubule ordered a retake, much to the fury of the Dinaledi squad, after he spotted some players infringing the area, and the veteran made no mistake second time around.
Stars were given a golden opportunity less than two minutes later when Shange was adjudged to have handled the ball in the box at the other end of the park.
However, Botes saw his strike well saved by Vries as he sprawled to his right.
That seemed to spur on the hosts, with Msekeli Mvalo dipping a 20-metre free-kick centimetres over.
Stars should have levelled the scores on the stroke of half-time when Reuben Thebakang crossed brilliantly into the path of Ng'ambi, who wastefully tapped the ball down into the hands of Vries.
Straight after the restart, Bilankulu had a chance to double the advantage, but he sent his header wide, while Namibian Vries was at his best in turning Lebo Ramolesa's low cross-goal shot around the post.
That move proved costly as Arrows extended their lead on the hour mark when substitute Mzivukile Tom worked his way into the box from the right and set up Mbesuma, whose effort deflected off Sipho Nkosi on its way in.
Twenty minutes from the end, Mbesuma was denied a hat-trick when he exquisitely controlled and shot in the penalty area, but Soppo managed to get his fingertips to the ball.
Three minutes from time Njabulo Manqana crossed for Bilankulu, who headed home from five metres out, and Mandaza finished nicely from the edge of the box deep into injury time.
It was the second loss of the season for Stars, who were left hovering mid-table, while Arrows, in last place before the mid-week fixtures, earned their first points after four rounds of matches.
