Johannesburg - Moroka Swallows couldn’t keep Lehlohonolo Majoro at bay as he broke the Dube Birds’ hearts with a goal deep inside stoppage time to see Kaizer Chiefs win 3-2 at FNB Stadium in an Absa Premiership encounter.
Chiefs came into the game unbeaten and they immediately proved why they deserved to be in first place when they found the back of the net in the seventh minute.
Moroka Swallows’ defence couldn’t cope with the speed of Siphiwe Tshabalala and Lehlohonolo Majoro, who combined beautifully before the latter sliced in a cross from the edge of the box to meet Reneilwe Letsholonyane, who tapped it in with ease.
The Dube Birds had a rare break in Chiefs’ final third and they threatened with a Katlego Mashego free-kick, 15 minutes in, when he curled it at the far post but it was dealt with by Itumeleng Khune.
The game started to pick up some pace and flare to it and it was Swallows who drew themselves right back into the match. It was a 33rd minute strike by Lerato Chabangu, who calmly drove in a low effort inside the far post after some great build-up play.
The derby atmosphere was electric in the stadium and it was only further heightened five minutes later after Yeye completed his brace. Bernard Parker was the man supplying the pass, in what was a deadly assist which left it all too easy for Letsholonyane to hit it home inside the box.
Swallows needed to make a comeback fast at the start of the second half and they nearly did when Bennet Chenene went on a great run on the flank, which saw him cut into the box and round defenders, only for his effort to be denied by Khune.
Chenene only caused further trouble for Chiefs when he gave Swallows a deserved equaliser, on the hour mark, when he hit home a snapshot from an excellently supplied Giorgi Nergadze cross from inside his own half.
Moments later, Stuart Baxter responded by making a double substitution in the shape of Kingston Nkhatha and Siyabonga Nkosi, while Greg Etafia pulled off an excellent save with his right foot off a Tshabalala shot.
Etafia and Nkosi suffered a heavy collision in the final ten minutes of the game but both managed to continue playing, while Gilbert Mapemba became the first player booked for Swallows.
Seven minutes of stoppage time was added at the end of the game and it was Chiefs who capitalised when Majoro headed home the winner in the final minute.
Scorers:
Moroka Swallows (1) 1 (Chabangu 33’, Chenene 59’)
Kaizer Chiefs (2) 3 (Letsholonyane 5’ 38’, Majoro 97’)
Teams:
Swallows: Etafia, Mungomeni, Mapemba, Hendricks, Mjempu, Nergadze, Tsutsulupa (Mathebula 56’), Chabangu, Chenene (Kumalo 89’), Mashego (Mabalane 69’), Obada
Chiefs Khune,Gaxa, Mathoho, Mashamaite, Ritchie (Masilela 87’), Lebese (Nkhatha 65’), Katsande (Nkosi 61’), Letsholonyane, Tshabalala, Majoro, Parker
PSL results on Tuesday:
Chippa United 2-1 Platinum Stars
Wits 0-0 Ajax Cape Town
Maritzburg Utd 0-0 SuperSport United
Kaizer Chiefs 3-2 Moroka Swallows