Ulundi - AmaZulu moved out of the Absa Premiership relegation zone after a hard fought 2-1 win over Bloemfontein Celtic in blazing heat at the Ulundi Stadium on Sunday.
The win moves Usuthu to 21 points, level with Bidvest Wits, but the Durban outfit have a match in hand over the Students - against Kaizer Chiefs. The game against Chiefs was rained off at Loftus last Wednesday night.
The winner was netted in the 80th minute by never-say-die striker Ayana Dlamini who ran his heart out on a hot afternoon.
AmaZulu started well and took the first shot in anger in the fourth minute when Dumisani Ngwenya’s strike was deflected for a corner. Two minutes later Celtic keeper Patrick Tignyemb stopped a volley from Ayana Dlamini.
Tignyemb failed to deal with a cross from Ngwenya in the eighth minute and from the loose ball Celtic defender Wellington Sambu did well to boot the ball off his goalline.
Celtic started to get their act together and it took a fine save from Usuthu goalkeeper Mbongeni Mzimela to stop a powerfully struck Sambu free kick in the 13th minute.
Celtic took the lead when ace midfielder Prince Olomu collected a tremendous pass from Excellent Walaza and showed great composure by drawing Mzimela and placing the ball past the AmaZulu keeper into the far corner to net his 10th goal of the season in the 17th minute.
Dlamini was wide of the target in the 23rd minute with a difficult chance that flew past the upright, and Mzimela did well to punch away a well struck free kick from Patrick Malokase in the 27th minute. A minute later AmaZulu’s Thami Sangweni shot wide of the Celtic woodwork.
AmaZulu finished the first half stronger, pushing Celtic, and had the visitors in trouble. First in the 32nd minute when Sibusiso Hadebe threaded through a clever ball to Dlamini, whose show shot was cleared off the goalline by defender Gary Goldstone, then when Phunya Sele-Sele keeper Tignyemb pulled off a super save from a powerfully struck free kick from Marc van Heerden 10 minutes before the break.
But Van Heerden had the final say when referee Buyile Gqubule awarded AmaZulu a penalty after defender Johannes Motlhaping was adjudged to have fouled Dlamini inside the danger zone and Van Heerden blasted home an unstoppable penalty to make it 1-1 in injury time of the opening stanza.
Dlamini thought they had scored a second goal on the stroke of half-time but the goal was disallowed for offside.
Mzimela did well to deny Malokase a goal from another well hit free kick in the 52nd minute, and the ever dangerous Dlamini weaved through the Celtic defence only to shoot wide in the 58th minute.
Olomu showed why he is so deadly and valuable for Celtic after his 30-metre thunderbolt was palmed over the AmaZulu crossbar by Mzimela in the 76th minute.
But with the clock running down Usuthu were rewarded for keeping up the pressure on the visitors when Dlamini latched on to a pass from Tshweu Mokoro and beat Tignyemb with a clinical finish with 10 minutes remaining, giving AmaZulu their third win in four matches.
The win moves Usuthu to 21 points, level with Bidvest Wits, but the Durban outfit have a match in hand over the Students - against Kaizer Chiefs. The game against Chiefs was rained off at Loftus last Wednesday night.
The winner was netted in the 80th minute by never-say-die striker Ayana Dlamini who ran his heart out on a hot afternoon.
AmaZulu started well and took the first shot in anger in the fourth minute when Dumisani Ngwenya’s strike was deflected for a corner. Two minutes later Celtic keeper Patrick Tignyemb stopped a volley from Ayana Dlamini.
Tignyemb failed to deal with a cross from Ngwenya in the eighth minute and from the loose ball Celtic defender Wellington Sambu did well to boot the ball off his goalline.
Celtic started to get their act together and it took a fine save from Usuthu goalkeeper Mbongeni Mzimela to stop a powerfully struck Sambu free kick in the 13th minute.
Celtic took the lead when ace midfielder Prince Olomu collected a tremendous pass from Excellent Walaza and showed great composure by drawing Mzimela and placing the ball past the AmaZulu keeper into the far corner to net his 10th goal of the season in the 17th minute.
Dlamini was wide of the target in the 23rd minute with a difficult chance that flew past the upright, and Mzimela did well to punch away a well struck free kick from Patrick Malokase in the 27th minute. A minute later AmaZulu’s Thami Sangweni shot wide of the Celtic woodwork.
AmaZulu finished the first half stronger, pushing Celtic, and had the visitors in trouble. First in the 32nd minute when Sibusiso Hadebe threaded through a clever ball to Dlamini, whose show shot was cleared off the goalline by defender Gary Goldstone, then when Phunya Sele-Sele keeper Tignyemb pulled off a super save from a powerfully struck free kick from Marc van Heerden 10 minutes before the break.
But Van Heerden had the final say when referee Buyile Gqubule awarded AmaZulu a penalty after defender Johannes Motlhaping was adjudged to have fouled Dlamini inside the danger zone and Van Heerden blasted home an unstoppable penalty to make it 1-1 in injury time of the opening stanza.
Dlamini thought they had scored a second goal on the stroke of half-time but the goal was disallowed for offside.
Mzimela did well to deny Malokase a goal from another well hit free kick in the 52nd minute, and the ever dangerous Dlamini weaved through the Celtic defence only to shoot wide in the 58th minute.
Olomu showed why he is so deadly and valuable for Celtic after his 30-metre thunderbolt was palmed over the AmaZulu crossbar by Mzimela in the 76th minute.
But with the clock running down Usuthu were rewarded for keeping up the pressure on the visitors when Dlamini latched on to a pass from Tshweu Mokoro and beat Tignyemb with a clinical finish with 10 minutes remaining, giving AmaZulu their third win in four matches.