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Celtic, Swallows draw

Bloemfontein - Bloemfontein Celtic, roared on by their famous home support, managed to snatch a deserved point in an entertaining 1-1 draw against Moroka Swallows in an Absa Premiership clash played at a hot Seisa Ramabodu Stadium on Sunday.

The draw keeps both teams' hopes of a top eight finish alive.

Birds led through a Sibusiso Khumalo first half goal while super sub Patrick Malokase headed home the equaliser in the 73rd minute.

The Birds were in full cry in the opening half and fully deserved their 1-0 lead at the break.

The home side struggled to get going up front and striker Sandile Ndlovu failed to shine against his former club and rarely troubled the well-marshalled Birds defence.

Moses Spandeel forced Birds keeper Greg Etafia to palm away his shot at the near post in the 10th minute.

Birds Ramahlwe Mphahlele had a shot deflected for a corner in the 22nd minute and from the resulting corner Ashraf Hendricks had a goal disallowed by referee Robert Sithole.

But, a minute later, the Birds made it 1-0 when Khumalo scored a wonder goal from the left of the Celtic penalty area hitting the ball into the far corner of the net giving goalkeeper Patrick Tignyemb no chance.

Birds' new teenage striker Auguston Leonard hit the side netting in the 36th minute as Swallows tried to double their score.

Celtic’s top goal scorer Prince Olomu forced Etafia to make a fine point blank save in the 40th minute in a rare attack.

Birds who were in full control came close to making it 2-0 in the 42nd minute but another of the Birds youngsters Keegan Ritchie’s free kick sailed centimetres wide of the woodwork.

Tignyemb came to Phunya Sele-Sele's rescue with two fine saves within a minute when he denied Khumalo who tried a similar shot from range in the 44th minute and on 45 minutes the Cameroon born keeper did well to stop Birds' veteran striker Siyabonga Nomvethe from close range.

The Birds kept control after the break but Celtic finally got their act together midway through the half and it took a brilliant save from Etafia to prevent Tlou Segolela from heading home the equaliser in the 64th minute.

But the pressure from the home side had to count and it did for Celtic who drew level in the 73rd minute when substitute Malokase headed home an unstoppable shot from a Segolela free kick which had the huge crowd of Celtic fans on their feet in salute.

Segolela headed wide with the goal at his mercy in the 90th minute as both sides went for broke and both teams created chances to snatch the winner late in the match but, at the end of a tough day, a draw was a fair result.

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