Publications
Partners
Cape Town - Free State Stars put in a strong defensive showing to hold regional rivals Bloemfontein Celtic to a goalless draw in their Absa Premiership match at Goble Park in Bethlehem on Wednesday evening.
The result sees both teams pick up their first point of the season after suffering losses in their respective opening league matches last month.
Celtic settled in the game quicker than their hosts and proceeded to create the better chances in the first half, though Stars goalkeeper Thela Ngobeni put in an impressive display to ensure the teams went into the interval locked at 0-0.
The former Mamelodi Sundowns man pulled one particularly fine save to keep out a goal-bound header from Alfred Ndengane in the 23rd minute, while Stars were also lucky not to concede a penalty just before the break when Moketsi Sekola seemed to get away with handling the ball in his own 18-yard area.
Celtic had a great chance to open the scoring nine minutes into the second half, but Musa Nyatama’s fearsome volley was brilliantly blocked by David Booysen – but at cost, as the defender had to be stretchered off and substituted soon afterwards.
Yet that was as good as it got for Phunya Sele Sele, whose lack of precision and imagination in the final third saw them forced to settle for a draw in a match they otherwise dominated.
