Bloemfontein - Bloemfontein Celtic bounced back from their midweek hammering by Platinum Stars in fine style when they beat Ajax Cape Town 4-2 at the Seisa Ramabodu Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
It was a lively performance and a well deserved victory from the home side against a team that never really found their rhythm or got going on the day.
The first half was action packed with three goals, including an own goal, as well as a missed penalty.
Both sides had chances in attack with the Urban Warriors enjoying the first opportunity of the game when Diyo Sibisi burst into the Stars box, but fired wide of goal.
In the ninth minute Phunya Sele Sele were awarded a penalty after Moses Spandeel went down in the box.
It was a golden opportunity to go ahead, but it was not to be as Sandile Ndlovu’s spot kick struck the outside of the base of the upright.
The home side looked a constant threat down the wings, not surprisingly considering Ajax were playing with two make-shift full-backs, and it was from this route that the first goal arrived when Tlou Segolela burst down the flank before squaring the ball.
Ndlovu was unable to turn the cross home, but Cecil Oerson was on hand to blast the loose ball into the roof of the net; 1-0 Celtic after 32 minutes.
Ajax’s reply was almost immediate as Derek Decamps sent a thumping header into the back of the net following Granwald Scott’s 34th minute corner.
But Decamps’, and Ajax’s, joy was short-lived as Celtic went back into the lead in the 43rd minute when the French defender could do little else but turn Segolela’s dangerous cross into his own net.
Nathan Paulse had a great chance to restore parity two minutes into the second half, but flashed a header just wide.
Just before the hour mark Celtic should have added a third goal, but Spandeel blasted over from a well-placed position inside the box.
The same player missed another excellent chance a minute later when he burst clean through on goal, but a heavy touch let him down and enabled Vonk to intercept.
Ajax defender Aidan Jenniker twice escaped being punished by a third Celtic goal when he was first adjudged to have handled the ball just inches outside his box, and then looked to have clearly hacked down Mark Mayambela, but no penalty was given.
Minutes later Ajax grabbed the equaliser when Scott’s clever free kick in the 81st minute enabled Aboubacar Fofana to header past Celtic keeper Patrick Tignyemb.
But poor defending was to prove costly for the Urban Warriors just four minutes later when Prince Olomu cut straight through the two Ajax central defenders before beating Vonk from six yards out.
The final nail was hammered in to Ajax’s coffin in the 89th minute when Segolela put the ball through Vonk’s legs after an intelligent through ball from Mayambela had again exposed Ajax’s weakness in the centre of defence.
Bloemfontein Celtic (HT-2) 4 - (Oerson 32’ Decamps og 43’, Olomu 85’, Segolela 89’)
Ajax Cape Town (HT-1) 2 - (Decamps 34’, Fofana 81’)
Ajax: (4-4-2) Vonk; Daniels, Decamps, Ivanovs, Shabalala (Fofana 71'); Serero, Ngobeni (Alexander 59'), Selolwane (Jenniker 29'), Scott; Sibisi, Paulse
Celtic: (4-4-2) Tignyemb; Nhlapo, Sambu, Tsotetsi, Kalala (Goldstone 81'); Spandeel (Walaza 70'), Nthethe, Olomu, Segolela; Oerson, Ndlovu (Mayambela 57')
It was a lively performance and a well deserved victory from the home side against a team that never really found their rhythm or got going on the day.
The first half was action packed with three goals, including an own goal, as well as a missed penalty.
Both sides had chances in attack with the Urban Warriors enjoying the first opportunity of the game when Diyo Sibisi burst into the Stars box, but fired wide of goal.
In the ninth minute Phunya Sele Sele were awarded a penalty after Moses Spandeel went down in the box.
It was a golden opportunity to go ahead, but it was not to be as Sandile Ndlovu’s spot kick struck the outside of the base of the upright.
The home side looked a constant threat down the wings, not surprisingly considering Ajax were playing with two make-shift full-backs, and it was from this route that the first goal arrived when Tlou Segolela burst down the flank before squaring the ball.
Ndlovu was unable to turn the cross home, but Cecil Oerson was on hand to blast the loose ball into the roof of the net; 1-0 Celtic after 32 minutes.
Ajax’s reply was almost immediate as Derek Decamps sent a thumping header into the back of the net following Granwald Scott’s 34th minute corner.
But Decamps’, and Ajax’s, joy was short-lived as Celtic went back into the lead in the 43rd minute when the French defender could do little else but turn Segolela’s dangerous cross into his own net.
Nathan Paulse had a great chance to restore parity two minutes into the second half, but flashed a header just wide.
Just before the hour mark Celtic should have added a third goal, but Spandeel blasted over from a well-placed position inside the box.
The same player missed another excellent chance a minute later when he burst clean through on goal, but a heavy touch let him down and enabled Vonk to intercept.
Ajax defender Aidan Jenniker twice escaped being punished by a third Celtic goal when he was first adjudged to have handled the ball just inches outside his box, and then looked to have clearly hacked down Mark Mayambela, but no penalty was given.
Minutes later Ajax grabbed the equaliser when Scott’s clever free kick in the 81st minute enabled Aboubacar Fofana to header past Celtic keeper Patrick Tignyemb.
But poor defending was to prove costly for the Urban Warriors just four minutes later when Prince Olomu cut straight through the two Ajax central defenders before beating Vonk from six yards out.
The final nail was hammered in to Ajax’s coffin in the 89th minute when Segolela put the ball through Vonk’s legs after an intelligent through ball from Mayambela had again exposed Ajax’s weakness in the centre of defence.
Bloemfontein Celtic (HT-2) 4 - (Oerson 32’ Decamps og 43’, Olomu 85’, Segolela 89’)
Ajax Cape Town (HT-1) 2 - (Decamps 34’, Fofana 81’)
Ajax: (4-4-2) Vonk; Daniels, Decamps, Ivanovs, Shabalala (Fofana 71'); Serero, Ngobeni (Alexander 59'), Selolwane (Jenniker 29'), Scott; Sibisi, Paulse
Celtic: (4-4-2) Tignyemb; Nhlapo, Sambu, Tsotetsi, Kalala (Goldstone 81'); Spandeel (Walaza 70'), Nthethe, Olomu, Segolela; Oerson, Ndlovu (Mayambela 57')