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Santos cruise past Arrows

Umlazi - First-half goals by Ricardo Skippers and Vuyisile Wana laid the platform for Santos as they eased to a 3-1 victory over a toothless Golden Arrows outfit in Umlazi, just outside Durban, on Saturday.

The hosts, who missed a second-half penalty through Collins Mbesuma, did pull one back through Thamsanqa Gabuza 17 minutes from time, but Salmaan King struck close to the end to seal a comfortable win.

There was tension in the stands throughout the clash, with fans increasingly voicing their disapproval of Arrows coach Ernst Middendorp as they were handed their fifth defeat in six games.

The German mentor's under-pressure side started out strongly, though, with Musa Bilankulu nodding Jabulani Nene's cross just wide in the opening few minutes.

The visitors went in front in the 11th minute when Siyabulela Songwiqi whipped in a free-kick from the right byline and Skippers beat two players at the near post to head Santos in front.

Two minutes later the lead could have been doubled when Wayne Arendse out-jumped the home defence and arrowed in his header from close range, only for the goal to be given off-sides - a tight call from the officials.

Katlego Mashego then wasted a free kick from a promising position which he struck straight into the wall - his only real contribution for the evening before he was substituted with an injury.

With the home side trailing, their heads also seemed to drop as the bite they showed in the opening stages simmered.

And following rare half chances for Njabulo Manqana and Joseph Musonda, Santos extended the lead on the half hour when Tawonga Chimodzi threaded through a defence-splitting pass that Wana finished with a low shot from the edge of the box.

Arrows tried to respond, but their best effort in the closing stages of the half was when Philani Shange forced goalkeeper Tshepo Motsoeneng to scamper the ball away with his feet with an ambitious 30-metre effort.

It was 2-0 at the break and after the restart Manqana should have done better than blaze over a 20-metre free kick.

The Arrows forward came close with a cross-goal effort, but the home side found chances increasingly difficult to come by.

They had a promising one on the hour mark, but it was too close to Motsoeneng, who punched away from Nene.

In the 72nd minute, Abafana Bes'thende should have pulled one back when Arendse tugged back Mbesuma in the box and conceded a penalty.

The Zambian, however, saw his effort excellently blocked by Motsoeneng, diving low down to his left.

And the veteran striker would have been breathing much better seconds later after the subsequent corner fell to Gabuza, whose crisp shot from 22 metres out caught the Santos custodian unsighted with the home side handed a lifeline.

But that brief hope was then killed off when Wana's long ball picked out King on the left side of the box and he cut inside before finishing through the legs of Virgil Vries with nine minutes remaining to sealed the win.

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