Rustenburg - Moroka Swallows lost again when they hosted Free State Stars at Olympia Park in an Absa Premiership clash on Wednesday evening. Tebello Mofokeng scored a brace to ensure that his side walked away 2-0 winners with an important three points.

Ea Lla Koto started like a thoroughbred race horse, applying early pressure on Swallows, who seemed to still be flapping their wings in desperation as Stars were all over them.

The Birds lacklustre start cost them dearly as Free State’s early pressure paid off when Tebello Mofokeng scored the game’s opening goal in the fourth minute. Mofokeng showed true class when he expertly finished his headed opportunity from only 12 yards in the bottom left corner of the goal, 1-0.

From there on out it was all Swallows, who awoke from their slumber. Captain Lefa Tsutsulupa, in particular, took the game by the scruff of the neck and led from the front. It was his effort in the 16th minute from 25 yards out which just skimmed the left-hand post that sparked his team into life.

The commitment and dedication of Stars was evident for all to see as they laid their hearts and bodies on the line in defence to protect their lead. Tshegofatso Mashego was the emblem of effort as he threw his body in front of a Mark Haskins shot in the 31st minute that was certainly goal bound.

Haskins nearly scored two minutes later when he curled a free-kick around the Stars defensive wall, but Kennedy Mweene was at hand to deny him with a fine save, punching the ball over the crossbar for a corner.

The best equalising chance of the half definitely fell to Sandile Ndlovu, who found himself with the ball only six yards out from goal, but his shot was also fantastically blocked by a diving Mweene.

The second half was more of the same as Swallows continued to press forward in search of the goal that would tie matters up, but there was always a chance they would be hit on the counter attack.

That is exactly what happened in the 73rd minute when Sanele Mabaso broke down the right channel and supplied an inch perfect cross to find Mofokeng inside the box. The Stars player showed some fine instincts in front of goal again when he finished for the second time, this time with his left boot from 12 yards out, 2-0.

Making matters worse was the dismissal of Fabian McCarthy for the Birds in the 90th minute after he received his second yellow card. The game ended 2-0 and Swallows continue on their downward spiral after losing yet another game.

Moroka Swallows (0) 0
Free State Stars (2) 0 (Mofokeng 4’, 73’)

Swallows: Etafia; McCarthy, Da Silva, Geyer (Alves 62’), Kobola, Oerson, Shivambu (Themba 61’), Tsutsulupa, Haskins, Khumalo (Morelato 78’), Ndlovu.

Stars: Mweene; Matola, Mensah, Mashego, Lechesa, Cloete, Olomu (Mabaso 56’), Madimabe (Motaung 67’), Mdluli, Mofokeng, Ngcobo.